Digimon Tamers International
by DigitalCorp
Summary: The story of an American, a Russian, and a South African who are thrust into the Digital World with the Tamers.
1. Chapter 1: Introducing Veemon

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 1: Introducing Veemon

Hi. My name is Greg, and I'm a college student studying Communication Media at a nationally recognized university. I'm also a Digimon Tamer. Now don't get the wrong idea. I don't work in a circus or anything like that. It's not that kind of relationship. In fact, it's more of a friendship. My partner's name is Veemon. No, he's not the same Veemon that teamed up with Davis Motomiya in Adventure 02. This one doesn't have a lisp.

It's hard to believe it was 10 years ago that I met him. It seems much longer than that. Still, I remember what happened. I was only 12 years old at the time, a Boy Scout who wasn't too motivated to do much of anything besides surf the Web and watch TV. Yeah, I was a mediaphile back in those days. I fell into the Scouting trap when I was about 8 years old. Thought it was fun, so I asked my folks to sign me up for it. Little did I know how much camping would be involved. This summer it was no different. I got shipped off to Scout Camp, especially at the insistence of my father. He was almost an Eagle, but he couldn't complete the Swimming Merit Badge. Neither could I.

Anyway, I digress. There I was, at Scout camp, setting up my sleeping bag and everything, feeling homesick for the basic comforts of home. I decided to take a walk, thinking I could talk to myself to pass the time. Those paths going from the troop campsites to the rest of the camp are long. All of a sudden, I spot a cave. I had a little free time between now and dinner, so I decided to explore it. But first, I decided to go to my tent to get my backpack. I packed a water bottle, a flashlight, some snacks... you know, the essentials.

After I packed everything that I thought I'd need up, I left and started exploring the cave. Needless to say, it was dark. I turned on my flashlight and started looking. Not much to see, just some rock figures. As I continued my journey, I saw what appeared to be a faint light show, like the ones you see in Vegas. I chased the light, thinking I'd find something. Unfortunately, I found it, and I felt the ground drop. I was falling into some sort of bizarre light show, it looked almost digital. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed as I fell.

* * *

Minutes later, I found myself flat on my back. I felt the gravel fall on my lips. It was actually sand, so I spit it out. I got up and I looked around. I was in a crater. I looked up at the sky. It was still blue, but with strange bits of data in it, and beams of light shooting down. Strange rectangular outlines as well. Of course, I look back down at the dirt and beside me is a ellipsoid-shaped black and white device with a screen, one of those Tamagatchi-type toys. Buried somewhat in the sand was a blue card with a tiny dinosaur roaring inside a D. Now of course, I was no idiot. I knew that one of my favorite shows on Fox Kids (back when Fox actually had a Saturday morning lineup, now all the good shows are on The CW) was Digimon: Digital Monsters. I knew that what I held in my hand was a Digivice. Yet, I couldn't believe that's what it was. Of course, the thing about me is that I love to play with technology. So, I started pushing buttons, doing various things with it. I even pretended I was my favorite Digidestined, Davis. (Although when you think about it, TK was all right too.) I thrust the Digivice upward and shouted "DIGIARMOR ENERRRRRRRGIZE!" You always hold out the "R" for at least a second when activating the DigiEgg of Courage. I thought it was just because Davis was braver, but looking back now, he was just fitting the dub.

It was fun, for a while. My finger noticed a bare spot, an indentation in the form of a straight line on the side. I looked at it from the side... it was a pretty narrow hole. Then I started looking at the card. Now I was collecting Pokemon cards at the time, and this was no Pokemon card. It had a sort of a barcode on the side, so I scanned the card. At first, nothing happened. Then, it started beeping. About 5 seconds in, the beep started getting faster and faster until it started shooting out white light. "Holy smokes!" I thought. Out of that white light came a dragon-like short humanoid creature colored blue with a tail and a yellow "V" on his forehead. The creature stared at me, and then started running toward me. My eyes widened and I started running.

It's hard running through that sand, but he finally headbutted into my back as I fell. I found myself on my stomach as he climbed on my back and lowered his head in front of mine. "Hi there!" he said cheerfully. It was the same New York accent, but without the lisp. "Uh... hi," I replied uneasily. The monster continued, "My name's Veemon, and you must be my Tamer." "Me?" I asked, surprised. "I thought Davis was your- Tamer!?" He got off my back and just glanced at me curiously. "Davis? Who's Davis?" he queried. I described him. "You know; brown hair, goggles, red fur-lined jacket." I got up and dusted myself off.

Then, I asked him an important question. "Veemon, where am I?" He didn't have to think about that one, and he gave me an answer. "Why, you're in the Digital World," he replied. I couldn't believe it. "This is the Digital World?" I queried in disbelief. "Oh, this isn't all of it," he explained. "There are oceans, forests, cities, all kinds of things. Wow, you must really be new here." "You could say that," I quickly replied. We got out of the crater and started walking along the sand as he started explaining the geography of the Digital World to me. When I started to mention what I had seen through watching the first two seasons of Digimon, he looked confused, but at least he didn't make me feel stupid.

All of a sudden, we spotted a group of people in the distance. They were holding a banner.


	2. Chapter 2: The Clash

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 2: The Clash

[This means the text is written here in English, but is spoken in Japanese.]

Greg

All of a sudden, Veemon and I spotted a group of people in the distance. They were holding a banner. As we got closer and closer, we could start making out who they were. One of them was wearing a blue hoodie with goggles. He was followed by a red dinosaur-like Digimon. Another boy was a little bit taller, an Asian with black hair, a orange jacket over a gray t-shirt, with brown pants and gray/yellow shoes and white wrist bands. I recognized the bunny-like Digimon on his head. It was Terriermon, one of Willis' partners in the movie. Basically, the Season 2 Digidestined go to America to fight a time-controlling Digimon. I was apathetic, but the boy seemed pretty cool. The one person I really noticed had red hair and a spiky-type ponytail. She also wore a T-shirt with a broken heart on it and blue jeans. Reminded me of one of my babysitters. She was followed around by this human-like furry Digimon, almost like a fox. There were two other guys and a girl with a hand puppet.

Meanwhile, I'm sure they were noticing me.

* * *

Kazu

'Sup? The name's Kazu Shioda, and I'm what you might call a Digimon otaku. That's a Japanese term for an extreme fan. Dude, it's kinda crazy how involved I am. Digimon Adventure 01 and 02? Taped every episode. The video game? ¥999 a month for platinum access, dude. And the card game? Oh man, I am the KING! Got a pretty wicked collection, 500 cards at least.

OK, here's the thing. One of my buddies is this guy named Takato. He's probably just as obsessed, maybe more than me. He's so into it, he drew his own Digimon. He called it Guilmon, and it's this raptor-slash-T-rex type thing. Anyway, one night, he got this strange device, and it scanned his drawing. Turns out he's a Tamer and his Digimon came to life! How cool is that? OK, so he met up with these two other guys. One of them's named Henry, and he's all right. He knows kung fu and all that, but he won't use it unless he has to. His partner's Terriermon, this bunny-type Digimon from "Digimon Adventure 02: Supreme Hurricane Touchdown!/The Golden Digimental", except it's a different one. Then there's this chick Rika. She's really good at the card game, even won a few championships. She's a tough girl, but don't let that fool ya. Her partner's Renamon, and they're kinda like sisters ya know? My buddy Kenta and I hang out with them a lot. We've even got a new member, Jeri. She's got a few quirks of her own, like that weird hand puppet, but her partner Leomon is awesome! Anyway, this little Digimon Calumon got kidnapped and dragged into the Digital World, so we went after her. Brought a banner and everything. Of course, when we got there, not everything went like it was supposed to, ya know?

We're out in the desert and we're looking for life. All of a sudden, we see this guy with a brown uniform and what looks like a Veemon. I was thinking, "Whoa. This guy must be military." So, I tapped Takato on the shoulder. "Dude," I said, "check that guy out over there." I pointed out in the distance. "That's weird," he answered. "I thought we were the only ones here." "What are you talking about, Takatomon?" Guilmon asked. He had this habit of adding -mon to Takato's name. Takato turned around. "Don't worry about it, boy," he said as he petted the dino on the head.

Rika, as usual, put her own two cents in. "Whoever he is, he better not be looking for trouble," she grumbled, pounding her fist into her palm. The guy got closer and closer until we could hear him shout, "Hey! Over there! Excuse me!" Thing is, he shouted it in English. Now, in Japan, we're pretty much bilingual. Since the Digimon were part-data, they could pick up both languages pretty quickly. Heck, Henry was trilingual since he knew Cantonese.

* * *

Greg

I got up closer to them until we met up face to face. The girl with the pineapple-type ponytail just glared at me, like I had done something wrong. The dinosaur smelled me out, trying to determine whether I was friend or foe. I got worried, because I had a bad relationship with dogs. I also saw Jurassic Park, so I knew dinosaurs were bad news. Veemon, for some reason, noticed my worry, so he did what he could to protect me. He slapped the dinosaur on the muzzle. I was shocked! I didn't want this to happen. The other humans looked shocked too, especially the one with the goggles. He ran to protect his Digimon, who was growling at us. "Oh boy... Look, I'm really sorry. I really am," I apologized as best I could. Without skipping a beat, I angrily turned to Veemon and hit him upside the head. "What's the matter with you?" I angrily asked him. He just got mad.

* * *

Kazu

Rika knew it. I could tell she was mad, especially after this guy's Digimon slaps Guilmon on the muzzle. So, we got into a huddle and started whispering... in Japanese. "[I knew he'd give us trouble. We should beat him up now,]" she whispered with authority, like she meant it. "[Now wait a minute, Rika,]" Henry cut in. "[I could see the look in his eyes. He was kind of nervous, and his Digimon was only protecting him. We've got to give him the benefit of the doubt.]" Rika just rolled her eyes and agreed. "[But if this guy goes too far, it's all on you,]" she added. We broke out of the huddle to see the American. He looked like he was really sorry. "Oh boy... Look, I'm really sorry. I really am," he said. Rika just stared him down. "[You should teach your Digimon some manners,]" she responded curtly. The American just looked confused.

* * *

Greg

The girl with the spiky ponytail just stared at me and spoke in another language. I could tell she was angry though. Veemon could tell too. I looked down to him and asked him what she was saying. Of course, he wasn't in the mood to do me any favors. Who could blame him? So, I went down to his level and apologized. "Veemon... I'm sorry. I know you were just trying to protect me," I said. "It's just that what you did gives people a bad impression." Veemon just looked at me. "I'll try harder," he said.. I just smiled at him. "I know that, and I'm sorry." I came up to him and hugged him.

Then, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and it was the Asian boy with the vest. I got up. "Uh... My name is Greg. I am... an Am-er-i-can," I said slowly, hoping they'd understand. "I kind of figured that out," the boy answered. I was surprised at how natural his English was. "But I thought-" I started, but then I just stopped, taking it all in. I went for a different approach. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. Troop 282, Boy Scouts of America, from Flower Mound, Texas." I gave the proper Scout salute. The Terriermon on his shoulder just stared at me. "Don't worry about him," the Asian said. "My name's Henry, and this is Terriermon. Nice to meet you." He bowed. "So, how did you get that Veemon?" "I don't know," I replied. "I followed a light show in a cave and the next thing I know, I'm here. I scanned this card and Veemon came out." I held up the card and my Digivice. Of course, I looked at the card, and it went blank. "Huh?" I asked. Henry just shrugged.

He took me to the side and explained the whole thing to me, all about Tamers and the Digi-Modify system.

* * *

Kazu

Henry was gone for a long time talking to that American guy. "Hmm... nothing's happened yet," Takato said to himself. "Maybe I should talk to him." Rika didn't like this one bit. "What, and have his Digimon attack you again?" she snapped back. Kenta, who usually didn't do much talking, spoke up. "Rika, if you didn't have Renamon with you and Guilmon was smelling you, you'd be a little freaked out. Right?" She actually thought about it, then just sneered. "No," she replied.

"Rika's swimming in denial," Jeri taunted through her hand puppet. Now, Jeri's usually a pretty quiet kid, so she uses her hand puppet to say things she wouldn't say herself. She got a Leomon as her partner, but she hadn't done much taming.

Later, Henry came back with the American. "Guys, this is Greg from America," he said. Guilmon wasn't too happy to meet him, 'cause he started growling. Takato just stood in front of him and chuckled nervously. "Look, I'm sorry about Veemon hitting your dinosaur. It's just that I saw Jurassic Park and-" Greg apologized. He offered his hand and Takato took it in a high-five. He just smiled. "It's cool," he said. "I'm Takato and this is Guilmon." Guilmon just stared at them. "Hmmmm... is there... anyway I can make it up to him?" Greg asked. "Yeah, go away!" Rika shouted in Japanese. Greg just looked at her. "I don't know what you just said, but I didn't do anything to you," he shot back. "He's got a point," Renamon quipped. I went up to the guy and offered my hand. "The name's Kazu." He took my hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Kazu," he said as he smiled. "Henry told me you've got some spare cards. Anybody hungry?" He took off his backpack and pulled out some rare American snacks. We'd never seen them before, but they were food. Thing to remember is we lost a lot of our supplies when we fell into the Digital World, so this was great. So, we took some of what he offered us. After we ate, we took out our decks and gave him all the extras and cards we didn't want. That's the thing about Americans, we always give them our leftovers and we don't feel guilty about it. He looked so happy, the sucker. Heh heh heh...

* * *

Greg

I knew I was taking a big risk when I offered them my food. After all, I didn't know what I'd be able to find here. I didn't even know if there was food here. All I knew is I had a Digimon and I needed cards. After we ate, everyone took out their decks and helped me build a deck. I ended up getting a few power ups and a few DigiEgg cards (Friendship, Love, Hope, and Sincerity). The Friendship I got from Henry, but Kazu thought it'd be funny to give me the other three. That's OK, I guess. I like Yolei and TK too. I put the cards in the side of my backpack and clipped the D-Arc to my belt.

It was official. I was now a Tamer.


	3. Chapter 3: Three Ambushes and a Funeral

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 3: Three Ambushes and a Funeral

Greg

We were walking through the canyons. The spiky-haired girl- by the way, her name's Rika, and if you rearrange the letters, you get Kari- thought she saw some satellites, but it was just a bunch of rock sculptures. They looked really convincing, though. It got dark all of a sudden, so we stopped where we were. Suddenly, Rika spotted something. "We have company," she said in this deadpan voice. She pointed up, and there was this thing made of fire. "Whoa- the Human Torch," I noted with awe. Henry pulled out his Digivice and pointed it at the beast, and his profile came up. "That's no Human Torch, that's Meramon! Champion level... his special attack is Magma Blast!" He sounded afraid. I didn't think about it at the moment. "Hey, how'd you do that?" I asked. Before I got an answer, the Digimon attacked. "MAGMA BLAST!" the monster shouted, and he fired magma rocks down at us. Renamon just shouted, "RUN!" so we did. We got down, and fast! Just then, Leomon (the lion monster) jumped up and punched Meramon into a crater, cooling him off. "I hope you're happy," he lamented. (Boy, that's not a word you get to use everyday.) "Go ahead and absorb me now!" Leomon just shook his head as Takato got up and looked down. "We wouldn't have attacked you if you didn't attack us," he replied.

Later on, we had a meeting with him. Turns out Leomon's punch knocked him to his senses, and he was an all right guy. Takato did some sketches of this small Digimon, Calumon, and something known as a Deva. This particular one, Makuramon, looked like a monkey to me. Meramon had no leads, but he mentioned something about going to the real world. I wanted to tell him it wasn't that much, but I decided against it. After all, why smash the dreams of a Digimon made of fire?

We set up camp, but Takato, Henry, and I couldn't sleep. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on back at home, or whether I would even go home again. It was a depressing moment. Of course, I also had something to prove to these people, being outsiders. Turns out they were all from Shinjuku, Tokyo. They were also big Digimon fans, so we kept ourselves busy discussing the adventures of our heroes. It turns out there was a lot Saban cut out of the original series, like Ken actually kicking a puppy and TK actually having a name. His real name's Takeru. It makes sense when you think about it. I told Veemon all about this and about his fictional counterpart, and he just smiled and went on.

Something came that night. There was a rumbling sound. Renamon (the fox-type lady Digimon) was the first to notice, and she went out on the prowl. Actually, she jumped out on a high bluff and looked out over the terrain. I was amazed she could jump that high. I also wondered if Veemon could do the same thing. Rika pulled out her D-Arc and pulled up a profile. "Jagamon, ultimate level plant digimon that travel in herds." she reported breathlessly. There was just something about her voice at that moment. My gosh...

Renamon started getting desperate. "They're coming right at us. Let's go!" She jumped down, just as Leomon picked up Jeri and Rika in his arms. Renamon picked up Kazu and his pal Kenta with her hands, and I shook Veemon awake. "Huh? Who turned on the vibrator?" he asked, half asleep. "We're in the middle of a stampede, come on!" I shouted. We ran out of the way, but Takato and Guilmon stood there like a deer in front of the headlights of a Plymouth Voyager. He got out of the way himself, but he nearly didn't make it. Henry and Guilmon had to pull him in. Meramon fired his Magma Blast, trying to save us, but a group diverted and hit him straight on. He died, and we were blown away.

The next morning, if you could call it that, we built a rock shrine to him. Takato even drew a sketch. He's quite the artist. That day, Kazu tried pulling up some breakfast. It was just a Jagamon. In fact, it was a whole herd of Jagamon. They like burying themselves in the ground like potatoes. It was weird. They also pointed us toward where they thought Makuramon had went. So, we continued walking. That is... until Renamon noticed a data stream... just behind Kazu and Kenta. Who knows where it would've sent us. So, we ran one way and those two went another. Rika and Renamon went right after them. Unfortunately, they didn't make it.


	4. Chapter 4: Ride Like the Wind

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 4: Ride Like the Wind

Greg

"That decides it," Henry said with conviction. "We'll just have to work with what we have." He turned to me. "Uh, yeah?" I asked. "Greg, you're new here so I'll train you myself," he decided. Veemon and I fist-bumped.

Henry started teaching me how to use the D-Arc in some sort of sparring practice. He started off by taking out his Digivice and pointing it to Veemon. He pushed a button on the side. Suddenly, I could see a hologram of my partner and his stats. "So it's like a Pokédex?" I asked him. He was speechless. "Uh... yeah," he finally said. "You can discover the other features as you go, but Digi-Modification is really important." He took out a card from his deck holster and let me look at it. It had a bunch of Japanese writing, but it had some English as well. Next, he grinned and stood back. "Watch this," he said.

He took the card, did a few quick arm movements, then scanned the card through the side of his D-Arc. "Digi-Modify!" he shouted. Then, he finished scanning the card and held it up. "Defense Activate!" Terriermon glowed for a second or two, but that was it. "That's it?" I asked. "You mean that's actually it?" Henry just had this grin on his face. "Try attacking Terriermon," he hinted. "Oh, right. Veemon, you heard the man!" I shouted. He looked around. "What man? Where?" He then looked to me, and I facepalmed. "Just attack the bunny, Veemon," I said. Veemon gave a short nod then started running toward Terriermon. "Vee Headbutt!" he called as he tackled into him, but the bunny didn't move! He didn't even feel the hit, but Veemon sure did! In fact, he ended up on his stomach holding his head. I calmly walked over to my fallen friend. "Nice," I commented. "I've got a question, though. Do you have to copy the arm movements?" Henry shook his head. "Heh, maybe I was showing off," he answered. "All you have to do is scan the card through the side of the D-Arc."

* * *

Henry

Hi there, this is Henry. Wanted to bring you a status report on the newest Tamer, Greg. I've taken him under my wing, so to speak, but there are times I've regretted it. There was the time I taught him the Card Slash technique (which is used to Digi-Modify). I think he gets easily distracted by my movements, because they're so complex. Every time he tried to copy them, he completely missed the scanner and looked sloppy. "You don't have to copy the movements," I said. "Just scan the card." I moved my focus to scanning the card. He mentioned that in America, they have scanners for credit cards and loyalty cards. "Great, just imagine your D-Arc as one of those scanners and your card is a credit card," I instructed. He did that, but scanned the card just a bit too fast. Then, he scanned it too slowly. Then, he scanned it at just the right speed, but backwards. After about an hour of practice just scanning a card, he got it. That's about twice as long as Takato took when I trained him, and he didn't get it that much either at first. At least he was eager and willing.

* * *

Greg

After a few days of training, Henry gave me the duty of going hunting. There had to be some food somewhere, so Veemon and I would look for it. When Digimon die, they get deleted (as we learned tragically from Meramon's death). I'd be looking around for communities and sources of food.

Takato gave me his backpack to bring back any plants or anything like that. "Ready, Veemon?" I asked my partner. Veemon gave me a thumbs-up. "Ready when you are, Greg," he replied. I pulled out my D-Arc and the DigiEgg of Friendship card. I tried spinning the card around, like I had seen Henry and Takato do, but I dropped it. I looked back, and Takato facepalmed. I picked up the card and decided not to spin it, but scanned it anyway, remembering to shout "Digi-Modify!" I finished scanning the card and held it up to the sky. "DigiEgg of Friendship Activate!" There was about a 3-second delay before the card kicked in. Throwing back to Adventure 02, I quickly added, "DigiArmor Energize!"

**ARMOR DIGIVOLUTION_**

Suddenly, a ball of orange light formed around Veemon. "Veemon Armor Digivolve to..." Veemon shouted as his skin peeled off, revealing a navy blue network. The ball he was in transformed into the DigiEgg of Friendship as elements from the egg implanted themselves into the network. What seemed like a few seconds later (it's much faster in reality than it is on TV), Raidramon appeared, along with his name in both Roman letters and katana. "Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!"

"Very impressive," I said. "However... how'd you get those letters behind you?" Raidramon just glanced at me. "Are you sure you should be asking me that question, Greg?" he asked. His voice sounded different, but I could still tell it was Veemon. There was a much more important question, and that was how to even mount him. I tried jumping on him, but that didn't work. Finally, Raidramon kneeled down and I boarded him. Then, he stood up. I didn't have any spurs, so I gently nudged his side with my shoe. He went off like a space shuttle. My entire upper section was going back and forth trying to keep up.

What seemed like minutes later, I could see a few bushes in the distance. "Hey Raidramon, there's some bushes in the distance," I said. "So?" he inquired. "Well, don't you think we should stop?" I shot back. No sooner after I said that than he stopped, and I landed on my stomach. Luckily, I landed in the bushes. Nothing. I made sure I wasn't hurt, and thankfully I wasn't. So, I got up. "Raidramon, I know this is my first time, but really." He just lowered his head.

We got it worked out, but it took a while. I found some berries and some apples, put them in the backpack, and we rode back. The ride was much smoother once I figured out a system. I just wrapped my legs around my Digimon, used the spike behind me for back support, and held on.

"Man, I wonder how Kazu, Kenta, and Rika are making out," I wondered to myself.

* * *

Kazu

Well, things didn't go out like we wanted. The 4 of us were freefallin' into a bottomless pit, man. Turned out that it actually had a bottom in it, and I landed on top of Kenta. Rika landed on top of me and nearly broke her back. We were just walking until we ran into this nice couple of Digimon. They started out not so nice. In fact, Renamon nearly attacked them. But, they ended up making us a whole lot of food. Kenta and I even got a bath in their private hot spring! Now in Japan, most people don't have central heating. The only way to heat up and relax is to take a bath. Only catch is, we don't use soap or bubbles in ours. We get all cleaned up before we get in the tub because everybody else has to get a turn using the same water! Kinda weird, huh? Anyway, most people go to hot springs to soak in the water. That's what Kenta and I did, and it was awesome! We even started singing in the bath.

(English Lyrics by Seth Walther, from Episode 26)

_Kenta_:

**_Getting' all pruny! _**

_Kazu: _

**_Like a raisin in Juney!_**

_Kazu/Kenta:_

**_ Soakin' in the bath!_**

_Kazu:_

**_ Soakin'..._**

_Kenta: _

**_Soakin' in the bath!_**

_Kazu: _

**_in the bath!_**

_Kenta: _

**_Actin' loony!_**

_Kazu: _

**_Hopin' you stop singin' sooney!_**

_Kenta:_

**_ Hey!_**

_Kazu/Kenta:_

**_ Bath, bath, bath, bath, bath, bath!_**

_Kazu (spoken): _

**_It's been really neat!_**

_Kenta (spoken): _

**_But you lost the beat!_**

_Kazu (spoken): _

**_I can still smell your feet!_**

_Kenta (spoken): _

**_My feet don't smell!_**

_Both: _

**_Bath! _**

* * *

Rika

Rika here, and don't you forget it. We spent the night in Jijimon and Babamon's hut, and it really boosted our morale. As soon as those bozos Kazu and Kenta got out, Renamon and I went in. The water felt so warm, so inviting, so... feminine. I hate that word. I really hate that word.

As I sat in the spring, I thought about my life. I thought about who I was. It's so nice to be alone, just Renamon and me. I thought about my mom. Heh, she always wanted me to get into a dress. It didn't help that she was one of the world's most famous models. She tried so hard to be my friend, had this whole "You and Me Against the World" mentality. So, I tested her limits. She's a complete pushover. I don't think she ever got it, and she still doesn't. She even tried to get me involved in the family business. No way! Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets a cheap shot at Rika Nonaka.

I spent a good part of my life trying to be the best at whatever I could get my hands on. Soccer, baseball, tennis, rock-paper-scissors, anything. I'm what you might call a perfectionist. I just tried harder. Of course, I didn't completely switch mentally. I knew who I was, and I made it work. I wanted to create my own unique beauty. Yeah, I've been called a lot of things, but a girly girl isn't one of them.

I started the Digimon TCG 2 years ago, became a master at it. I even won a few tournaments. They were calling me the "Digimon Queen". I got my D-Arc about 6 months later, and everyone wanted to be my partner. I picked Renamon because we had the same mission. We wanted to get stronger, so we did. Up until I met Takato and the others, we killed Digimon just to gain their strength. Now, things are different.

A lot of things have happened since then, and I've grown a lot closer to Renamon. I've grown a lot closer to Jeri as well. I wondered if she'd be OK, but then I snapped out of it. After all, the only person you can trust in the end is you and you alone.

The next day, after breakfast, I went outside and looked at the scenery. We'd have to strike out and find the others soon, or else who knows what would happen. I was stranded with these two... losers who didn't have any Digimon with them. They were dead weight. I didn't even know why Takato invited them along in the first place. Anyway, I was standing outside when I saw something blue, gray, and black coming in the distance. I looked it up on my D-Arc, and Raidramon came up. "Raidramon, an Armor Champion Digimon. The Armor Digivolved form of Veemon using the DigiEgg of Friendship," I sighed. Why was I not surprised? As he came into view, he slowed down and pulled up to me.

* * *

Greg

I figured I would find the others while I was out, so I used the D-Arc's Radar function to track Rika down. This might give me a chance at some friendship with her. After all, you can't help but make friends with the person who saves your life. I found her in front of these mushroom-like huts.

As we were getting closer to Rika, I slowed my Digimon down, like a Cadillac pulling up to a drive-thru. I just flashed one of those cool, somewhat reserved smiles, the smile that says, "Hey babe, what's up?" Rika got one of these giant sweatdrops on her head, I could see it. "Hi there," I greeted her. She didn't give me a chance. "Let me guess, you're Prince Charming and you're here to bring me back to the others," she assumed. I thought about it, and nodded. "Yeah, pretty much," I answered. I carefully got off Raidramon as he powered down. Rika opened the door and shouted, "Renamon! Kazu! Kenta! LET'S GO!" Just then, this short gnome-type Digimon came out. "Now now wait a minute, don't go just yet now," she said. "You haven't had breakfast yet." Veemon's and my ears perked up. "Breakfast?" we asked. She invited us in, and started cooking.

Minutes later, there was a whole feast on the table. It wasn't like any breakfast I'd seen. Steamed rice, this weird sticky substance that looked like beans, broiled fish, and this thing called "rolled omelet". It was weird, but delicious.

After that, we went outside. "Hey... Rika, right?" I asked, trying to confirm her name. "Yeah?" she answered. "How about a ride back? I'm sure Raidramon can fit 2 people." I offered. "You're not just trying to make a pass at me, are you?" she shot back. This time, I got a giant sweatdrop. Veemon nudged me. "Don't give up, Greg," he said.

I just rolled my eyes and pulled out the DigiEgg of Friendship card, trying to get it to spin (and hoping to impress Rika). For some odd reason, I liked her. I really liked her. This must be how Davis felt with Kari. The card spun around once, but I couldn't catch it. Kazu and Kenta laughed, and even Rika couldn't help but chuckle. I decided to be good-natured about it, passing it off as a joke. "This isn't as easy as it looks," I remarked with a grin. I picked up the card and tried it again. It spun around and I caught it, but it was on the wrong side. I quickly turned it around and scanned it. "Digi-Modify!" I called. "DigiEgg of Friendship Activate!" Seconds later, Veemon Armor Digivolved to Raidramon and I jumped on. "You sure none of you wants a ride back?" I asked. Kazu just smiled. "Nah, we're good." "All right then. Looks like I'll have to make my own way in the Digital World. Henry told me he was already up to Ultimate, so I've got a lot of catching up to do. See ya!" I waved. The gnome-type Digimon just waved back as I rode into the sun. What I said was true. We wouldn't come back until we were as strong as they were.


	5. Chapter 5: From Russia With Lalamon

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 5: From Russia with Lalamon

[This means it's written in English, but spoken in another language.]

Greg

Our training regime was simple. When the lights turned on, we got up and got ready for the day. That meant finding breakfast. I discovered a unique kind of fruit. I found this out when I picked one from a tree and took a bite. It was awful, like raw meat. In fact, I spit it out and nearly gagged. "Are ya OK, Greg?" Veemon asked with concern. "Yeah... but that apple's rotten," I replied. I looked at where I had taken a bite. It still looked white and fresh. I didn't see any worms. Luckily, my buddy knew what it was. "Oh, that. That's a meat apple. You're supposed to cook it over a fire," he said. So, we worked together to start a fire. I didn't have a lighter, since I didn't smoke.

What I did have was the DigiEgg of Love card, so I pulled that card out along with my D-Arc. I had been practicing every free moment I had, and I developed something of a theory watching the others. The music, the spinning card, the lighting... it was all in the mind. It was all visualization that someone else just happened to see. All I needed to do was focus and visualize myself doing it. For some odd reason, I found it a lot easier to focus here than I did in the real world. So, I pulled out the card and flicked my hand, causing the card to spin. Then, I caught it and scanned it through my D-Arc. "Digi-Modify!" I called as I finished scanning the card. "DigiEgg of Love Activate!"

**ARMOR DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Veemon Armor Digivolve to..." Veemon shouted as he transformed. The new Digimon appeared, along with his name in both Roman letters and katana. "Sethmon!"

The DigiEgg of Love was a good fit for Sethmon. He had a face only a mother could love. He looked lethargic. "Sooooooo, is this it?" he asked in a slow drawl. "Uh... yeah, I guess," I answered. I looked him up on my Digivice. His picture came up on the circle, along with his name. I scanned the image until an English description came up. "'Sethmon, the Armor Digivolved form of Veemon through the Digi-Egg of Love. His Japanese name is Setmon, which comes from the Egyptian God Set. He can let out a powerful storm of heat and pierces his enemies.' Hmm... interesting," I said. "Sooooooo, you want me to cook those apples?" he asked. I went to go get some more. In minutes, I had a big pile. Sethmon let out a powerful blast of heat and then powered down. Then we got to breakfast. I waited for my meat apple to cool down and then got a bite of it. It tasted just like hamburger! "Hey Veemon, I got hamburger!" I shouted. It was delicious. I took a bite of another one, which ended up tasting like lobster. I tell you, the next 15 minutes were a meat eater's paradise. Now if only they had Oreos.

After breakfast, it became apparent that neither one of us had taken a shower. So we looked for a lake and took a bath. It's awfully hard to do without soap. "Hey Veemon, what do you use for soap?" I asked. "Soap? That's kinda hard to come by here," he replied. He went on, but I noticed something else... or someone else. A beautiful girl... she looked kind of like that Russian girl from _Captain Planet, _but she wore a long, sweeping dress. She looked like she had a plant with her.

* * *

Anya

Hello. My name is Anya, and I was born Soviet. I come from Russia, where the men are strong and so is the vodka. I do not drink. I was sent to the Digital World by some force I do not know. Luckily, I met Lalamon when I discovered my D-Arc and Blue Card. She has a little leaf on her head that spins around so she can fly. I always bring my deck of Digi-Battle cards, because I am a mistress of the game in my native land. We quickly became agreeable and decided to settle down together as Tamer and Digimon. She has a calming effect on me, and many a night has gone by where she has sung me to sleep. We have an understanding. One would dare even call it a sisterly love.

I was directed to these meat apples. Sunflowmon, Lalamon's Digivolved form, used the power of sunlight to heat them. While I was dining, I looked out over the water, and there was this boy with brown hair taking a swim with his Digimon. I took out my D-Arc and analyzed the Digimon. "Veemon, a Dragon Digimon whose name and design are derived from the letter 'V'. Although it has a mischievous, prank-loving personality, it has another side with a strong sense of justice." How decadent. This boy noticed me, and was seemingly interested. "[Hmm... Anya, that boy looks interested in you. Why don't you go meet him?]" Lalamon suggested. "[Obviously not while he is unclothed,]" I answered in disgust. I called out to him in my native tongue, "[Hey you! American! Put some clothes on before you stare at me!]"

* * *

Greg

I couldn't believe it. This girl had noticed me, and she was shouting something at me. I initially started to get up, but then realized I had no clothes on. "Oh great..." I told my friend. Veemon told me he'd handle it, so he got up. "Uh... yeah, yeah, my Tamer... he's kinda naked right now, but he'll talk to you later!" he shouted. The girl stood there and turned away. The little bud-type Digimon didn't. I quickly got up and headed for a nearby tree where I got dressed.

Minutes later, I went around the lake and went up to the girl. She was very pretty, with long blonde hair. She spoke to me in a strange language, I assume it was Russian. Apparently she wasn't too happy with me. I just smiled. "And what's that supposed to mean?" I asked. The plant Digimon spoke up. "She asked where on Earth you're from." I gave my Scout salute. "Troop 282, Flower Mound, Texas," I answered proudly. "Ah, another decadent American," the girl answered, in English. Needless to say, she had a Russian accent. Reminded me of Natasha from _Rocky and Bullwinkle, _except it was far less pronounced and a bit softer. "Decadent?" I asked. She spoke again. "Yes, decadent. Undergoing a process of decline or decay, especially in morals." That couldn't be right. "Oh no, ma'am. A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient..." "Please, please, save your routine on someone who cares." Veemon decided to step in. "Now wait just a minute, lady. Greg's a Boy Scout, and a good guy. I don't know what your problem is, but I can't let you make fun of him like that. And who the heck are you?" I gave him a thumbs-up. The Russian girl answered, "My name is Anya of Moscow, Russia. This is Lalamon." Lalamon lowered herself and went back up. I smiled. "So you're a Tamer, too? All right!" I tried high-fiving her, but she wouldn't take it. "So, you fell down rabbit hole, found Blue Card, met Digimon, and here you are?" she asked. I nodded my head.

We got to talking, and she showed me some of her cards. All in strange letters, I assumed it was Russian. "Gee this game must be pretty popular, huh?" I asked her. "More than you know," she replied coolly. I explained to her my situation. She seemed somewhat interested. "Very interesting... so you want to be as strong as your new friend Henry. Then the best way to begin is to battle," she suggested. She got up and moved back to the other side of the lake. "I dunno... are you up to it, Veemon?" I asked. Veemon had this confident look on his face as he clenched his fist. "You bet I am!" he eagerly answered.

And so, the battle was to begin. The referee would be nature itself. We would go until one of us admitted defeat. The rules were simple. We were allowed only 1 Digivolution card and 3 Digi-Modify cards. "Are you ready over there?" I called to her. "I'm waiting!" she answered back. I got my D-Arc ready, grabbed a card from my bag, and prepared to slash it. I spun the card around... but this time, I heard some music from an electric guitar. I looked around to see where it came from, but I couldn't see anything. While looking for the music, I had dropped my card, so I picked it up and focused again. I spun the card around and caught it, then scanned the card. "Digi-Modify! Digivolution Activate!" I shouted, holding the card up.

**DIGIVOLUTION_**

It began again, except this time, the network didn't form a DigiEgg. Instead, it formed a regular egg. "Veemon Digivolve To..." Veemon shouted as he transformed. He became a bigger version of himself, very muscular with wings, a horn from the snout and a silver X on his chest. "ExVeemon!"

"Oh yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" I yelled in jubilation.

* * *

Anya

It seems that the American's Digimon had become an extremely powerful form of himself, tall as a building, with flapping strong wings, a horn sprouting from the snout and a silver X across his chest. Oy, what will they think of next? I readied my D-Arc. "[Lalamon, shall we proceed?]" I asked. Lalamon nodded as I took out my card, took a deep breath, and began the Card Slash. "Digi-Modify! [Digivolution Activate!]" I called as I positioned myself. Whenever I slash a card, I try to look good. Then again, doesn't everyone?

**DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Lalamon Digivolve To..." Lalamon echoed as she began her transformation. She grew longer as her face blossomed into a sunflower. She gained a pair of leaf-like wings, a pair of claws, a pair of feet, and a tail. "Sunflowmon!"

* * *

Greg

"A sunflower dragon thing? That's weird," I told myself. I decided to give ExVeemon a pep talk. "Don't let that sunflower dragon thing fool you!" My partner turned around and gave me a thumbs up, then started going in on the attack. But first, he called it. "Vee-Laser!" He fired a laser from the X on his chest that hit this... Digimon. Of course, my little Russian beauty had to fight back. She scanned her first card. "Digi-Modify! Скорость активации!" And like that, the flowery dragon became faster in her attacks. She was hitting ExVeemon left and right! "Hey! What card did you play?" I called out to her angrily. "Speed!" she answered. I quickly checked my somewhat meager deck to see if I had anything to match her. I did. I drew the card, spun it and caught it... and sure enough, the music started again! I ignored it and scanned the card. "Digi-Modify! Stamina Activate!" At that point, ExVeemon's stamina went up and he kept on fighting. I don't know what stamina looks like, all I know is that he didn't fall into the water. The fight went on for about 4 minutes, at least according to my watch. I moved closer to the side so I could see both of them. Anya must have thought the same thing because she joined me to watch.

Finally, I saw it all come to an end. Anya's Digimon fell into the water. "OK, that's enough! Return!" I called to my friend. He came back, triumphant. Anya didn't look that impressed with me. "You could have absorbed Sunflowmon's data," she said coolly. She was right. ExVeemon could've used some of that data. "The reason I didn't destroy you is because you're not my enemy and we just met. I mean, I think we can be friends, right?" I asked as I offered my hand. She accepted it. I knew this would be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Or at least until we got out.

* * *

* I borrowed 2 lines from IrishDreamer4's fanfic "**Digital Adventure 03: Kiseki O Shinjiru**", for the description of ExVeemon.


	6. MusicBreak 1: The Safety Dance

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Music Break #1

[These are just fun little music videos featuring the cast. I'll admit I grew up on Disney, so I'm quite familiar with the animated musical thank you very much. However, I'm not going to have characters break into song for no reason. Thus, we have the music breaks every few chapters or so. Full credit goes to the publisher, the writers, etc. If you'd like to listen to the song, look it up on YouTube. Partial credit for this idea goes to **IrishDreamer4** .]

"The Safety Dance"

Written by Ivan Doroschuk

Performed by Cast

Lead Vocal by Rika Nonaka [Melissa Fahn]

(pre-video sequence)

Greg

After the fight, we spent the rest of the day hanging out, training and such. One of those meat apples must have had something in it, because I had this really lucid dream.

* * *

_Greg and Veemon arrived at the JR Shinjuku Station late at night. "Where are we?" Veemon asked. "I think it's some sort of a subway station," Greg replied. Just then, a voice rang out of the darkness. A female voice. "You're right," she said. Greg and Veemon turned around to find Rika and Renamon leaning against the wall. "Welcome to Shinjuku Station," Rika greeted with a sly grin. The experienced Tamer approached the inexperienced Tamer. "Rika?" Greg asked. "What are you doing here?" "Now come on, what do you think?" She had the same sly grin on her face. She indicated that she wanted the two to follow her, so they did. _

_(start music)_

_Rika jumped over the turnstile, with Renamon hot on her trail. It took Greg and Veemon a bit longer to get under, but they caught up. _

_Henry [off camera spoken]:_

_**S-s-s-s A-a-a-a F-f-f-f E-e-e-e T-t-t-t Y-y-y-y  
Safety, dance! **_

_They take the stairs down to the loading station. At that point, Renamon quickly digivolved into Kyubimon as the two Tamers and Rookie boarded. After all 3 got on, the fox-like Digimon set off down the tracks._

_Rika [spoken_ _]:_

_**We can dance if we want to  
We can leave your friends behind  
'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance  
Well they're no friends of mine  
I say, we can go where we want to  
A place where they will never find  
And we can act like we come from out of this world  
Leave the real one far behind  
And we can dance **_

_They arrived at another part of the station, where they're met by the other Tamers and Digimon and their friends [Kazu, Kenta and Jeri], all dancing. "Uh, Rika... I'm all for quoting 80s lyrics too but what is everyone doing?" Greg asked. "Dance first, ask later," she answered seductively. Impmon played the synth keyboard._

_Rika [sung]:_

_**We can dance if we want to  
We can leave your friends behind  
'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance  
Well they're no friends of mine  
I say, we can go where we want to  
A place where they will never find  
And we can act like we come from out of this world  
Leave the real one far behind  
And we can dance  
**_

_Renamon: _

_**Francois!**_

_The popular dance step here seemed to be repeatedly forming an "S" sign by jerking both arms upward into a stiff pose, one arm in an upward curve and the other in a downward curve. Guilmon was the most adept at it, just waving his claws in the air. Everyone's having a good time. _

_Rika:_

_**We can go when we want to  
The night is young and so am I**_

_(with Renamon)**  
****And we can dress real neat from our hats to our feet****  
****And surprise 'em with the victory cry**_

_(without Renamon)**  
****Say, we can act if want to****  
****If we don't nobody will**_

_(she looks to Impmon)**  
****And you can act real rude and totally removed****  
**_

_Guilmon [spoken]:_

_**And I can act like an imbecile **_

_At this point, it became a flashmob, with Rika in front and everyone else joining in [for some idea of what I'm talking about, see Artie's performance of this song in the Glee episode "Dream On"]._

_Rika:_

_**I say, we can dance, we can dance  
Everything is out of control  
We can dance, we can dance  
We're doing it from wall to wall  
We can dance, we can dance  
Everybody look at your hands**_

_(everyone high-fives their partners)**  
We can dance, we can dance  
Everybody's takin' the cha-a-a-ance **_

_**Safety dance  
Oh well it's safe to dance  
Yes, the safety dance**_

_They broke out of the mob for a second. "Uh, Takatomon... what's an imbecile?" Guilmon asked. "That means you're dumber than a moron but smarter than an idiot," Henry answered. "Oh... what's a moron?" _

Jeri's Puppet

_ [spoken]:_

_**S-s-s-s A-a-a-a F-f-f-f E-e-e-e T-t-t-t Y-y-y-y  
Safety, dance! **_

_Romance was in the air as Greg and Rika tried seducing each other in dance. _

_Rika:_

_**We can dance if we want to  
We've got all your life and mine**_

_Greg/Veemon:**  
As long as we abuse it  
Never gonna lose it**_

_Rika:**  
Everything will work out right.  
**_**_I say, We can dance if we want to  
_****_We can leave your friends behind_**

_Digimon:_

_**Cause your friends don't dance  
And if they don't dance**_

_Rika:**  
Well they're no friends of mine.**_

_As she was singing, a large group of Rookie Digimon came in and joined in the flash mob._

_Rika:_

_**I say**_

_Cast:_

_**We can dance, we can dance**_

_Rika:**  
Everything is out of control  
We can dance, we can dance**_

_Cast:**  
We're doing it from wall to wall  
We can dance, we can dance  
**_

_Guilmon [spoken]:_

_**Everybody look at your hands**_

_(everyone high-fives their partners)**  
**_

_Cast:_

_**We can dance, we can dance  
Everybody's takin' the cha-a-a-ance **_

_Rika:_

_**Oh Well the safety dance**_

_**ah yes the safety dance**_

_**Oh well the safety dance**_

_**Oh well the safety dance**_

_**Oh yes the safety dance**_

_Takato (as he accidentally gets scratched by Guilmon):_

_**OW!**_

_Rika:_

_**Oh the safety dance **_

_Greg:_

_**YEAH!**_

_Rika:_

_**Oh it's the safety dance**_

_**It's the safety dance**_

_**Well it's the safety dance**_

_**Oh it's the safety dance**_

_**Oh it's the safety dance**_

_**Oh it's the safety dance**_

_**Oh it's the safety dance**_

_The music ends there as everyone claps for the last time._

* * *

Greg

Then I woke up.


	7. Chapter 6: The Young Man from Cape Town

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 6: The Young Man from Cape Town

Greg

The next day started like any other. Breakfast, then training. I really hadn't put much thought into training. I mean, just being in the Digital World on your own should be a challenge. If you've never experienced it, you should. Anyway, Anya sent herself off to find something other than meat apples. Apparently, she was starting to get tired of them. Veemon and Lalamon agreed, so we all went to look. We spent hours searching for something new to put in our stomachs. We found some berries, some figs, some other fruit, and so on. It was enough to make anyone homesick for good cooking, and that was the case with us. Anya started mumbling something in Russian, and I just looked dismally at our supply. Now I'm a big eater, so I knew this wasn't going to be enough for me, let alone the rest of us. "We better keep looking," I suggested. So, we started walking.

We had no TV, no Game Boy, no anything. The D-Arc didn't have anything on it that could be used for entertainment, so we rediscovered the seemingly lost art of conversation. In our talking, we learned a lot about each other. Anya was born in Mordovia, back when it was still part of the USSR. She was about a year younger than me and was just off break from school. She had 2 sisters who were in high school already, both her parents, and a St. Bernard/Doberman half-breed named Boris. "Whoa... a big dog," I remarked. "Da," she agreed. "Mother says we cannot keep him in the house except during the winter." "Oh yeah, the Russian winter. Must be brutal." The conversation then shifted to the weather, as it always does. Now keep in mind I was 12 at the time, but my hero Davis had been a bad influence on me. A number of girls back home wouldn't take me up on my advances, so I didn't want to blow it with her. So I didn't bring it up.

"Hey Greg! Look!" Veemon exclaimed as he pointed to a building. It was a building with a sign on top that had Japanese writing on it, and outside was a bird-like Digimon with a bush on his back and a crown on his head. I took out my D-Arc and scanned him, his picture came up. "Hmmm... Deramon, an Bird Digimon, Ultimate Level... Even though he can't fly, his combat level is incredible," I read. He saw us and called out to us. "Welcome weary travelers! Come get your free food here!" "FREE FOOD!?" Veemon and I shouted in unison. I quickly put away my D-Arc as we ran to the restaurant. Anya and Lalamon followed us. They weren't as fast as we were.

* * *

Anya

I must preface this by saying that I know something about cuisine. True, my family is not fabulously wealthy. We consider ourselves quite bourgeois, actually. Still, I know what appeals to me and what does not.

What the bird-like Digimon known as Deramon served was unlike anything I had experienced before. He started by cooking a pot of noodles and broth. He then served up four bowls and poured the soup in. Then, he threw four eggs into the air and cracked them with his beak. The eggs promptly fell into the hot bowl and poached. I was actually quite impressed with his presentation and applauded as such. "There you have it, my best Tsukimi soba*," Deramon proudly advertised. I waited for my egg white to become completely white then grabbed my chopsticks. Greg, that American, naturally asked, "Excuse me, where's your silverware?" Deramon was not pleased. "Silverware? SILVERWARE!? What kind of a place do you think this is, kid? I don't have silverware! Whatssa matter, you can't use chopsticks like everyone else?" "OK, OK... sheesh." Greg took his chopsticks, but then remembered to say grace. As an Orthodox, I agreed to that. After the blessing was administered, I took a bite.

They say that Russia hides away several bombs. I felt that some of those bombs had found their way inside my mouth and were battering my taste buds. It was far too salty for my taste, and the egg did nothing to help my situation. I promptly spit it out. We all did. "What was that?" Greg demanded to know. That only made the bird Digimon more enraged. "That was my best soba, kid!" he shot back. "How do ya like that? I try doing something nice for these people and they shoot me down." "I wouldn't call that nice!" Veemon answered. I interjected. "Where shall I begin? There is far too much salt, the egg is undercooked, and the noodles taste like chalk. I would not give this to my family dog." That really set him off. "THEN GET OUT!" He started pecking on us until we left.

At that point, I was feeling most indignant. Everyone was. "Should we attack him?" Veemon asked his Tamer. "Well, he did attack us, but that was only after we insulted his cooking," Greg thought aloud. "Why not? We'll claim it's self-defense." He took out his D-Arc.

* * *

Greg

His food was awful, and when we called him out on it, he nearly pecked us to death! Sheesh, and I thought I had anger issues. I'm sure the powers that be would not mind us wiping the dust off our feet, so to speak. So, I took out a card. "Ready to turn up the heat, Veemon?" I asked my buddy. "Yeah!" Veemon shouted, clenching his fist. I spun the card around and scanned it through. "Digi-Modify! Heat Activate!" I called. At that point, my partner Digimon's fist ignited. "Aim for the shrub on his back!" I ordered. Veemon went running toward Deramon. As soon as he got up close, he jumped. "Burning Fist!" he shouted as he punched the shrub on his back. The bush ignited and the bird panicked. I quickly ran to get some water to put him out. After all, I didn't want to kill him, just defend myself. I pumped out a bucketful and poured it on top of the burning bush. The flame went out. Deramon breathed a sigh of relief. "What'd you do that for?" he demanded. "You attacked us because we insulted your cooking, which was bad in the first place," I stated. "You weren't expecting me to just take it, did you?" That was partially true. "You've got a twisted sense of justice, kid. The next time you or your sorry friends show up at my place, I'm jacking up the rates so high your head will spin!" the bird promised. Again he pecked on us until we left, then he closed the place down. "AND STAY OUT!" he added.

"In my country, that is called showing one where the crayfish spend winter," Anya quipped. "Where do they spend the winter?" I asked, not expecting a real answer. She stood there for a moment, thinking about it. "That is a very good question. I will get back to you later with the answer," she replied simply. I rolled my eyes as we went on.

Even though it was bad, I should have finished that soba at the restaurant. When your stomach doesn't feel right, you tend to have a lot of things go through your mind. Things like guilt. "You know, maybe I shouldn't have attacked the guy," I confessed. Anya looked somewhat sympathetic, or indifferent. I really couldn't tell.

Eventually, we arrived at a village with a lot of tents. Seemed like everyone had a tent. We were met at the front of the village by a yellow Digimon wearing a pair of red pants. He didn't look too bright, but he just stood there muttering, "Welcome to Fortuneteller Village." He must have been half asleep. "Fortunetellers? How droll," Anya said. We decided to look around. "Come get your fortunes told here!" they all shouted, not necessarily at the same time. We wandered into one and found a lizard-like Digimon spinning his head around. "Hey!" he shouted. "Wanna have your fortune told for free?" I shrugged and sat down. "Sure, why not?" He started spinning his head around. "I see... a future in which you have become stronger, in which you have conquered your fears..." "One where I get my own series?" I asked in a gullible hope. "Eh..." The gecko didn't say much. He had to think or spin his head some more. "Come on. We might as well forget it," I relented.

We left the tent and wandered into another one, more of a cafe. The atmosphere was unique, it reminded me of one of those _Indiana Jones_ movies. The tables were filled with Digimon of all kinds just talking and sipping their drinks. In the back corner, though, was a young man, I figure about my age. I took my glasses off and wiped them with my shirt just to get a better view. His clothes looked pretty basic, a smart suit with a tie. The man looked like he walked out of an episode of _Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? _One thing I did notice that was slightly out of place was his hat. He wore a raspberry beret, the kind you find in a second-hand store. I'm being honest here. He also had a Digimon with him that looked like a red lion. I pulled out my D-Arc to investigate. Its picture came up as I searched for the English text. "Coronamon, a Rookie level Beast Digimon born from the fusion of sun-watching data," I read. "Is he friend or foe?" Anya asked me. "I don't know. Why don't we find out?" I suggested. So, we did. He looked up. "Yes?" he asked. I started up the conversation. "Eh, hi. You probably don't know us, but we've noticed you've got a Digimon with you." "Izit?*" he asked, smiling. "Hmmm?" we asked. "Is it so?" he repeated. "I can see it, can't I?" I asked back, pointing to his Digimon. The boy looked at where I was pointing. "Hmm, so you can," he replied. It went back and forth for some time until we finally introduced ourselves. "Hallo. You must forgive my friend as he does not know how to properly introduce himself. My name is Anya, and this is Greg." "What kind*, my name's Ed. This is Coronamon." The lion shyly waved.

"So, where are ya from?" Veemon asked. "You tell me first," Ed answered, looking around. I gave my standard Scout 3-fingered salute. "Troop 282, Flower Mound, Texas," I proudly claimed. "Mordovia," Anya added. Ed took all this in and then spoke. "OK. If you really want to know, I'm from Cape Town, South Africa." "South Africa?" Veemon asked. "Where's that?" "On the southern most point of Africa, near the Cape of Good Hope," Ed replied. He quickly changed the subject. "One thing you should know about this village, my new friend. Not everyone is who they say they are. Most of them will tell you what you want to hear, and then lead you down a path of ruin. It reminds me of downtown." At that point, I had only one question on my mind. "Did you come to the Digital World dressed like that?" Anya and Lalamon facepalmed. Ed just smiled. "Yeah," he answered. "That is just awesome," I replied. "I can tell where this is going," Lalamon mused.

We spent the next hour or so talking about what had happened over the past few days. He seemed interested. "So, tell us about yourself," Anya invited. Ed just smiled again. "All in good time," he simply said. "Well, will you at least join us please? We're trying to get out," I explained. He thought about it for a moment. "Nah, I think Coronamon and I are doing fine right where we are. There's no rush. Time seems to move... slower, here. I like that. I might catch up with you two later." I couldn't believe it. "Aww come on, I haven't even seen you in action. You're just so... cool." He got up and started walking away. "So I've heard," he said just before he left.

* * *

*Tsukimi soba ("moon-viewing soba"): Topped with raw egg, which poaches in the hot soup.

* "Izit?" (pronounced: \izit\) the words "is" and "it" put together. Short term for "Is that so?" (For example: John: "Bra, I just found out I have a million dollars!" Charles: "Isit?"; or: John: "Bru, you would not believe how amazing it felt to footskate in front of all those people." Charles: "Isit?") Also, it can mean "really?"

*"What kind": South African greeting similar to _Howzit_


	8. Chapter 7: Looking for Clues

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 7: Looking for Clues

Henry

3 days ago, we had sent Greg out to find food. We hadn't heard from him since, and I'm starting to get worried. First we lose Kazu, Kenta, and Rika... and now the newbie. So, it's decided we should go back to the flag to wait for them. We need to keep track of as many people as we can because the Digital World is a dangerous place. I don't want to lose anyone. A lot has happened since he left. Guilmon found Renamon's scent and we followed it. Ultimately, we met up with Kazu, Kenta, and a supposedly legendary Tamer named Ryo. He had beaten Rika in a number of Digimon card tournaments and Kazu was giving Rika a hard time about it. So, she and Renamon left. We've got a lot more on our plate than we did before.

* * *

Ed

Hello. My name's Ed, and I'm many things to many people. Some have called me a heartthrob, a _boykie*, _even a star. I never asked to be any of those.

I'm currently one of the lead performers on a show called _Harmony Street, _about a group of kids in Cape Town who have their own rock band and their own club. It used to be a run-down movie theater, but the neighborhood kids renovated it to become a hangout of sorts. Don't ask me how or why, it's not important. Right now it's the hottest program on M-Net*'s block for children. They licensed the format from a man in America. Don't ask me who the man is. I just do what they tell me to do.

How did I get to the Digital World? I can't completely answer that question. That day I was practicing a number for the show with the people that have grown to become my "friends". Ha, that's a laugh. I had to use the loo, and sure enough, I saw an array of lights in my trailer. I felt myself falling, and I landed somewhere. All I know for sure is that I own a cherry-red-and-black Digivice and my partner is Coronamon.

* * *

Greg

After Ed left the cafe, we followed him. I thought he was the coolest Tamer I'd ever met, maybe even cooler than Henry. Eh... Henry! Oh man, I forgot! I remembered that I was supposed to find food for them. "Oh great... Anya, do you have a laptop on you?" I asked. Anya checked in her bag. "I regret to inform you that I have nothing," she replied. "Ugh... why do you have to be so formal?" She thought about that. "I don't know," she answered. "Geez, somebody's got to teach you how to lighten up," I shot back.

We used the Radar feature to follow him to a village that was quite a ways off. Along the way, we had to deal with food, so it was back to the meat apples and berries. "Greg, why don't we take some of these meat apples back to the others?" Veemon suggested. "That's a great idea, man." So, we left behind some non-essentials and packed our bags as much as we could with the apples. By the time we reached the village, it was getting dark. So we settled down for the night.

The next morning, we had breakfast as usual. I discovered that the water in the Digital World is about as useful for brushing teeth as the water is back home. We started wandering around the village, where we saw these rock-like Digimon called Gotsumon.

We spotted Ed and tracked him down to some ruins that looked like giant heads. Veemon and I stood there amazed at the stone faces. Anya didn't have a laptop, but she had a digital camera. It was a Canon, to be exact. We took some photos, and then went right back to tracking him. We quickly figured out he had climbed up. I wasn't that adventurous, so we digivolved our Digimon and went up. We finally found him in a cave singing "I'll Never Break Your Heart" by the Backstreet Boys.

* * *

Ed

They had found me out. I stopped singing. "Didn't know you were into the Backstreet Boys," the American said. "Who are the Backstreet Boys, Greg?" his Digimon asked from outside. "The most overrated boy band in the world, second only to N'Sync," I described in a deadpan. Coronamon got in front of me, ready to strike if necessary. Their Digimon got close enough to where the humans could jump off. "So I take it you want a fight?" I asked them. "If you don't mind. I'd like to see what you've got," Greg challenged, smiling. I shot a grin right back at him. "Sure thing."

I didn't want to desecrate the ruins. Coronamon would've had a fit if I did. So, we took rides on their Digimon down to the bottom and found an empty field nearby. "You already have your Digimon digivolved, I'm guessing. So, I better boost mine," I told my opponent. I then called out to my partner. "Coronamon! How are you doing?" "I'm hundreds*," he answered. Well he was going to feel more than that after this. I took my D-Arc, pulled out a card, and prepared the Card Slash. "Digi-Modify! Digivolution Activate!"

[BGM: "EVO" by Wild Child Bound]

**DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Coronamon Digivolve to..." My partner stood there ready for his skin to peel off as he began to digivolve. He became longer and more quadruped. He shot out of his cocoon of sorts in a burst of flame. "Firamon!"

* * *

Lalamon

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. This is Lalamon with the report on the match between the South African singer Ed and his Firamon and the upstart American Greg and his ExVeemon. And what a match it was!

Ed mounted his Digimon, Anya brought down her hand, and the fight began! "Fira Bomb!" Firamon shouted as he used his full power to shoot fire bombs from his forehead. ExVeemon came in with a powerful punch right to the face. OUCH! "Yeah! Give it to him!" Greg cheered as he prepared to use the first of 3 cards. "Digi-Modify! Speed Activate!" he shouted as he slashed. ExVeemon sped up as he punched faster and faster. Ed reached for one of his cards as well. "Two can play that tune. Digi-Modify! Hyperspeed Activate!" Firamon sped up as well and darted away. The battle went forward left and right, with no one giving an inch. After about 15 minutes, ExVeemon had this to report: "Hey Greg... he's tough! I don't know how much more I can take of this." The Tamer let his card do the talking. "Digi-Modify! Armor Activate!" At that point, ExVeemon's arm was equipped with a pilebunker and he started punching away again. Firamon flew up high. "Hold on tight, Ed. I'm giving it everything I've got," he warned as Ed held on. "FLAME DIVE!" He covered his whole body with fire and comes down quickly from the sky to tackle ExVeemon. "Dodge it!" Greg shouted! ExVeemon quickly dodged the attack as Firamon seemingly dove down to the ground face first. POW!

* * *

Greg

As the dust settled, Anya and I rushed to the scene. Ed and Coronamon were lying on their sides, panting. I'll admit, I could feel my heart racing a bit myself. That battle was intense. A normal person watching on TV wouldn't think it would mean anything to the DigiDestined, with him standing on the sidelines swiping cards and shouting at the top of his lungs. I started feeling it more and more as the battle progressed. I guess this must be how Ash feels every time he has an intense Pokémon battle.

As ExVeemon came back down to terra firma, he dedigivolved and fell on his back. The only thing keeping his back from fully touching the dirt was his tail. I helped Ed up as he dusted himself off. "Well, that was interesting," he noted. "So I'm guessing you're going to be joining us?" I asked. He thought about it for a moment, then smiled. "I guess, for now," he said. We shook hands, but just as we were about to release our grips... "GUYS!" Anya caught our attention as a pink beam came from out of the sky... and it was headed right toward us! "It's headed right for us! Grab your stuff!" Veemon shouted as he tried to get up. We raced to our bags and started running... but it was too late.

* * *

Anya

Floating around in space is not what it is cracked up to be. Neither is being sucked up in a data stream. We demonstrated Issac Newton's theory of gravity very well. We went up, and then straight down somewhere else. The natural reaction when falling at an unknown distance and speed is screaming. That is just what we did. As we reached closer and closer to the surface, I couldn't help but wander, "Is this the end?" I saw a faint light...

**DIGIVOLUTION_**

* * *

boykie- meaning a young white male who is cool in the high-school stereotype kind of way. Sporty and tanned, uses a lot of slang. From English "boy" and the Afrikaans "-tjie" meaning little.

M-Net: a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa

hundreds: good, fine. (As in 100 percent)


	9. MusicBreak 2: Looking for Clues

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Music Break #2

"Looking for Clues"

Written by Robert Palmer

Performed by Ed [Vic Mignogna]

Ed

As I was falling to my death, I thought long and hard about one of the numbers I was rehearsing just before I left. Only there were some new figures added...

* * *

(start music)

_It's in black and white as the audience finds itself in an apartment somewhere in downtown Cape Town. As they go inside, they find Ed wearing casual clothes asleep on a couch. The phone rings, and he is startled awake, rushing to the phone. The scene alternates with Ed standing in front of a microphone clapping his hands in time with the music._

_Ed:_

_**It's crazy but I'm frightened  
By the sound of the telephone, oh yeah  
I worry that the caller  
Might have awful news, oh my **_

_Ed answers the phone and listens intently. _

_**Who knows these days  
Where on earth all the money goes, oh yeah **_

_He hangs up the phone and looks to Coronamon, who nods. What seems like seconds later, he appears in a custom Armani suit (not at all unlike Robert Palmer) with a magnifying glass locking up his apartment. _

_**No doubt we could put it  
To a better use, oh my **_

_Coronamon quickly digivolves to Firamon in a back alley, as Ed mounts him. The two fly up and toward a manor, making sure to avoid seeing anyone. Ed delivers his next lines to Firamon._

_**You keep insisting that nobody showed you  
How to keep relationships, oh yeah  
Your daddy made  
A real good try, oh my  
**_**_You said you knew all along  
_****_We could work it out, oh yeah  
_**_**Do you have to make a fuss every time we fly?  
**__**Ooh, I'm looking for clues**_

_They quickly land by a manor in the African countryside as Ed dismounts and Firamon powers down. The audience cuts back to the studio with Ed in front of the mic._

_**I have to make an effort now  
Just to be serious, oh yeah  
Nobody's gonna give you  
The benefit of the doubt, oh my **_

_Back to the scene, Ed picks up a paper lying on the floor. The headline reads "FEMALE JEWEL THIEF SEEKS REFUGE IN MANSION"._

_**Every time I pick a paper up  
It's harder to believe the news, oh yeah **_

_Cut back to Ed at Mic._

_**I'm gonna have to shake it up  
And twist and shout, oh my **_

_They quickly approach the mansion and knock on the door. Nobody answers, so Coronamon uses his Corona-Knuckle to knock down the door. The pair is greeted by Rika dressed in a jumpsuit as a jewel thief._

_**You can't do nothing  
That you don't put your mind to, oh yeah**_

_He delivers his next lines to Rika at this point._

_**I suspected all along  
You were a dream come true, oh my  
**__**I'm never in the dark  
**__**'Cause my heart keeps me well informed, oh yeah  
**__**I'm convinced that there's a way  
**__**Of getting through to you  
**__**Ooh, I'm looking for clues**_

_While Ed and Coronamon scour the house looking for clues, Takato (dressed up as a butler) plays a xylophone solo. Guilmon, who also has a pair of sticks, is playing with them and ends up hitting Takato's head. Ed stumbles upon the room holding all the jewels Rika's stolen as her partner-in-crime Renamon scoops them up in a bag. Rika spots Ed fighting with her Digimon partner over the jewels. _

_**It's crazy but I'm frightened  
By the sound of relationships, oh yeah  
I swear we could  
Put it to a better use, oh my**_

**_Do hurry baby, you've forgotten_**  
**_How to catch a night groove, oh yeah_**  
**_You told all the callers you were not amused_**  
**_Ooh, I'm looking for clues_**

_Renamon goes for the phone, and pretends not to know what she's doing when she actually does. He gets in a struggle with Rika over the gems as he drops the bag to the floor._

_**You keep insisting that nobody showed you  
How to use a telephone, oh yeah  
Nobody's gonna give you  
A second chance, oh my  
**_

_Officers Henry, Greg, and their Digimon come in and make the arrest._

_**I don't have to make an effort now  
To find out where the money goes, oh yeah**_

_Ed breaks into a foxtrot with Renamon, much to Coronamon's chagrin._

_**Do you have to make a fuss every time we dance?  
Ooh, I'm looking for clues **_

_Ed foxtrots the fox-like Digimon all the way to Officer Veemon, who cuffs her. Officer Henry handcuffs Rika as the two "criminals" are escorted out. However, it seems Ed and Coronamon are arrested as well, for breaking and entering._

_**Ooh, I'm looking for clues  
Ooh, I'm looking for clues  
Ooh, I'm looking for clues **_

_Everyone gets their mugshots taken and they all end up in the same prison cell. _

So, what do you guys think of the Music Breaks? Would you like to see more or less of them?


	10. Chapter 8: The Secret Storm

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 8: The Secret Storm

* * *

Henry

I was on watch as usual when I saw it. Six figures falling from a data stream... and they were going to hit the canyon! Just then, I saw a faint light...

**DIGIVOLUTION_**

One of the figures grew a pair of leaf-like wings, a pair of claws, a pair of feet, and a tail. "Lalamon Digivolve to... Sunflowmon!" it shouted. "Sunflowmon?" I wondered as I took out my D-Arc to look it up. "Hmmm... Sunflowmon, a Champion level plant-type. If it bathes in the sun's light it becomes very energetic, and even its offensive power rises." The Digimon caught the others in its arms and brought them safely to where I was standing. I looked to see who had come down... and two of them were Greg and Veemon! Oh great. At least they were safe.

* * *

Greg

Ugh... my head. Were we still alive? I tried opening my eyes... first things that greeted these eyes of mine were Sunflowmon and Henry's heads. "Huh? Wha- what just happened?" I asked. "Looks like we made it," Sunflowmon commented. "And it's a good thing you did," Henry added. Boy, I was glad to see him. She brought us down to the ground and we got up. It's a good thing I had my backpack. Just then, Takato and Guilmon entered the scene. "Hey Henry, why don't you go get some sleep? We'll take over," the goggle-head offered. Guilmon sniffed the air... then he sniffed Anya and Ed. "Hmmm... they smell different," he noted. He stood right over Ed's face... and then Ed woke up. "AHHHHH!" he screamed! Guilmon ran back to Takato. Henry picked up the sleeping Terriermon by the ears. The Digimon was still half asleep. "Does this mean we have to wake up now Henry?" he asked groggily. "Dude, you're makin' me look bad," Henry sighed as the two walked away.

I pulled out my bag of meat apples and set them on the ground. Guilmon's eyes lit up like a pair of 60W light bulbs. "Pyro Sphere!" In no time flat, he set fire to those apples! So, we sat there and we introduced ourselves once Anya and Ed came fully to.

* * *

Anya

My first impression of Takato Matsuki was that he did not know what he was getting himself into. He had a seemingly uncontrollable raptor-type Digimon that he kept referring to as "Boy", like it was a dog. I was surprised to find that he had been doing this for some time and had gotten his Digimon to Ultimate already. "But you seem like such a novice," I stated. "A novice? Gee, you sound like a video game," Takato answered with a goofy smile on his face. "I mean, it's no big deal. Guilmon and I just get along well, ya know?" With that, he told us of his exploits in Shinjuku, Japan. As I was listening to him, I could not help but feel that he had bonded well with his Digimon. "Could I ever have such a bond?" I wondered to myself. So, I decided to ask him about it. "Takato, I will admit I have been a Tamer for a shorter period of time than you. Lalamon and I have developed something of a bond, but not as deep as yours. Tell me, comrade, what is your secret?" Takato looked on inquisitively. "A secret? Ha ha ha ha, there's not really a secret. It's just, ya know, after fighting with them, you start to develop a bond. Heck, the first time we met, I thought Guilmon was gonna kill me!" He let out a laugh.

* * *

Ed

My first impression of Takato Matsuki was good. He was and is a generally likeable guy, someone I could count on for a good laugh in hard times. He was the kind of friend I wish I had. Of course, I passed on my occupation like it was nothing, but he seemed genuinely interested. He had more of a childhood than I ever had up to that point.

After he and Anya had that conversation, Takato looked to the sky. It seemed his mood changed. "I'm worried about Rika," he admitted. "Who's Rika?" I asked. "Hm? I bet she and Renamon are having so much fun their faces are all crampy," the raptor-like Digimon said. "Who's Rika?" I asked again. "Hmmm?" Takato turned around. "Oh, well, ya see, she's this friend of mine, another Tamer. Kinda headstrong, but she means well." He took out a pencil and pad and quickly drew a sketch of a girl with a pointed ponytail, which almost made her head look like a pineapple. I wondered if she might have some future with me.

* * *

Takato

My first impressions of Anya were that she needs to loosen up. I mean, are people really that uptight in Russia? She sounds so... deliberate. She reminds me of my teacher.

Ed's an all right guy, I think. Not only does he go to school like me, but he also has his own TV show and recording contract. I think that's awesome! His Digimon, Coronamon, is pretty awesome too. Kind of reminds me of Guilmon, not knowing much of anything. He's so innocent, eager to please.

Greg and Veemon are OK too. I like all of them, but Anya really needs to just loosen up.

* * *

Greg

The next morning, everyone was awake and standing there on the cliff. Takato came up with an idea about finding Rika. "She knows where the flag is; so instead of us aimlessly searching, maybe we should just go there and wait for her to come," he suggested. At once, everyone let out one large "Hm..." It was a no-brainer, but we had to think about it anyway. Finally, Henry said something. "Yeah, maybe that is a better plan. I am worried about Calumon, but if we regroup with Rika and Renamon we'll have a better chance of finding him. Alright it's settled, let's go back to the flag." "Another hike. Oh joy," I muttered to Veemon. So, after we packed everything up, we left. It didn't take long because we didn't have much, thank goodness.

Anya, Ed, our Digimon and I stuck behind Takato and Guilmon. "I should feel worse about Rika missing but I just don't like her very much," I heard Kenta say. "Atta boy, Kenta! Needless guilt. Hey, she is always baggin' on us cause we don't have our own Digimon," Kazu answered. "You just haven't gotten to know her. I like Rika," Jeri added. "You've got Leomon, of course she'll talk to you. But anyone without a Digimon is slime," Kazu pointed out. That got me to thinking. "Hey Jeri, uh... how'd you get Leomon in the first place?" I asked her. Jeri just smiled innocently. "Well, that's kind of a long story," she started. "It is because she has a lion's heart, making me worthy of her," Leomon cut in. Veemon and I rolled our eyes at that one.

We kept walking until we stopped at where the flag had been. Only thing is... there was no flag. "Oh no! The flag's gone!" Takato groaned. "Someone swiped the flag! I bet you it was Carmen Sandiego," I guessed, looking to Ed. Ed just stared blankly at me. "I have no idea who you're talking about, boet*, and I don't give rocks* to it either!" he stated. Guilmon sniffed the ground and snorted out a spot where the flag could have been held. "Huh? Hey I smell Calumon," he announced. "Well whaddya know? He's a regular bloodhound," Veemon joined in. News of Calumon brought a smile to Takato's face. "That means he was here," he said cheerfully.

Just then, a giant windstorm started up and everyone started grabbing each other. Leomon grabbed Jeri, I grabbed Veemon and Anya, Ed grabbed Coronamon, and so on. We were holding and touching each other just trying to protect ourselves from the storm. Anya groaned something in Russian, I think she was swearing. Then again, I don't know any Russian profanity. I soon found out why. A data stream was headed in our direction! "I think our ride is here!" Kazu shouted in despair. "And I have a feeling it will be a very bumpy one," Anya murmured. "Takatomon! Over here!" We turned around and started running for a cave Guilmon found. We all made it. Well, almost all of us. Part of Anya's dress got caught on a rock fragment and Lalamon was smart enough to stay with her. "ANYA!" Ed and I shouted. "NOOOOOO!" Veemon screamed. Anya screamed too, and then she was gone.

As soon as the rest of us were in, Takato grabbed Guilmon by the shoulders as if he was going to hug him. "Guilmon! You saved us!" he exclaimed. "Well, almost all of us," Ed noted somberly. "There must be some kind of energy disruption in the Digital World that's causing these storms. It's not normal," Leomon analyzed. "In this world, what is?" I asked, not really expecting an answer. "Energy disruption? What could that be from?" Henry inquired. Just then, Takato's backpack pocket glowed. "Maybe it's the same thing that's making Takato's butt glow," Terriermon snarked. The goggle-head took out the contents of the pocket. It was a PDA. "Whoa! The communicator's working! " he exclaimed. He started writing an e-mail on it. I looked over his shoulder. "Who are you writing to?" I asked. Kazu pulled me back.

We sat out in the cave for a while until the storm blew over. "I'm gonna be ralfin' up sand for a week!" Kazu exclaimed. Takato stayed in the cave. "Hey, aren't you coming, Takato?" Jeri asked him. He just stared at his PDA. "In a sec. The power went off as soon as the storm was over. I hope...my e-mail got through all right," he said.

* * *

Rika

The reason I left the others was because of those jerks Kazu and Kenta. Ryo didn't help that much either. I could've taken them. I didn't need him then and I don't need him now. Yeah, I came in second place against him in the 1999 Digi-Battle National Tournament. He beat me fair and square... but it still hurt. Wait, what am I talking about? I'm past all that now. I've grown a lot stronger, but still...

We were walking along this forest path when these little, white, annoying things started floating around me, giggling. "Renamon, what _are_ these things?" I asked my partner. "They're called Digi-Gnomes. Relax Rika, at least they're friendly. In fact why don't we rest here? I'll go find us something to eat," she offered. "Well maybe you can find some Gnome repellant while you're at it," I shot back. She just grinned and then disappeared. Good old Renamon. At least we weren't going to starve out here.

She was gone an awfully long time, so I just sat there. Rrrgh, I hate doing that. Didn't she know we had to get out? This place is stupid, Ryo's stupid, Kazu and Kenta are stupid, Goggle Boy's stupid, everyone is just... stupid! That's when she dropped right in front of me. She was a girl with a long dress and a Digimon that looked like a plant.

"So nice of you to drop in," I sarcastically remarked. She got up and dusted herself off. "Hmmm? Where am I?" she asked. "You're in a forest and you're in my way," I replied. "You certainly didn't come prepared for this little hike, did you?" She just stared at me. "Ah, I see. Lalamon, I sense we will have trouble with this character," she informed her Digimon. Then she saw the D-Arc on my belt. "Aha! A fellow Tamer!" "I'm not just any fellow Tamer, pal. The name's Rika Nonaka, the Digimon Queen." She took notice at something. "So you are Rika? Well! От во́лка бежа́л, да на медве́дя попа́л." I had to raise an eyebrow at that one. "Huh?" "Oh, that is right. You don't know Russian. What I said was, 'I ran from the wolf but ran into a bear,'" she explained. "That bear being me," I shot back. She nodded. "I was captured by a data stream and somehow brought here." "Just my luck. Rrrh, I guess I'll let you come with me," I relented. She unleashed an icy smile.

We waited some more. Those little pests started flying around me again. "I wish she'd hurry up, I'm tired of resting. I wonder if these flying night lights know where to find water," I mused to myself. Just then, they smiled at each other and a whole group of them grabbed at me. "Hey! What are you doing? " I asked. I didn't want them just taking me anywhere. They grabbed the new girl as well and started pulling us in their direction. We finally stopped in front of a lake that reflected the cherry blossoms in the water. "Beautiful," I breathed out. This reminded me of a lake at my grandma's house in Osaka. Oh man! I jumped from rock to rock, laughing and getting some water. I took a sip of it from my hand... it was amazing. It was crystal clear and pure, not anything like the water in Shinjuku. It seemed the new girl liked it too. "Ah, how refreshing!" she said as she took a sip. "By the way, my name is Anya. I am from Moldova."

The scene would've been perfect... if those little white Digi-Gnomes hadn't cut in. They started screaming at me and flying around in circles. "Huh?" I turned around and started hearing... and seeing the water! "Ah! " Anya and I screamed, but she just had to grab onto me as the water hit us!

I'm an OK swimmer, but this water was too fast. "Помогите!*" Anya shouted. "Help...me...Renamon!" That little flowering bud shot tree nuts from her mouth at a tree branch, but a long vine came in with a log attached to it. I tried grabbing for it, but it wasn't easy. It's never easy when you've got extra weight. I finally grabbed it and we started climbing.

"Thanks...Renamon. " I said as I coughed out some water. It wasn't Renamon, though. It was that little smiling munchkin, Calumon. "You sure picked a silly time to go swimming, Rika Rika," he said. "Calumon!" We ran toward each other and he jumped in my arms. Boy, I was glad to see him! I couldn't help but notice that a smile came to my face. "Where have you been? We searched everywhere." "I'm not sure I searched everywhere, but I tried," he answered.

If only we could've enjoyed that moment more. "Rika!" Renamon shouted. "Anya! Look out!" the bud shouted! We turned around and saw what was coming to us... the Digimon and a tsunami! Renamon grabbed all 3 of us just as the water hit! We shot up from a hole in the ground. "AHHHHHHHHHH!" we screamed. The water stopped and we were headed down. I held onto Calumon for dear life, closing my eyes and waiting for impact. "Renamon..."

**DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Renamon Digivolve To... Kyubimon!"

"Lalamon Digivolve To... Sunflowmon!"

I opened my eyes. There was Kyubimon! Thank goodness. It was about time she showed up. I grabbed onto her while this other dragon-like Digimon caught Anya. Kyubimon, Calumon, and I landed safely on the ground. "That was pretty impressive. Thanks," I said. "What a ride," Calumon added. I turned around and pointed my D-Arc at the dragon. The data came up. "Hmm... Sunflowmon, a Champion level plant-type. If it bathes in the sun's light it becomes very energetic, and even its offensive power rises. Impressive." Sunflowmon and Anya landed. "Where are we?" she asked. "I believe it's the same place we were transported from the last time," Kyubimon answered.

* * *

Greg

Guilmon smelled the ground again with his nose. "I smell Calumon," he announced. "You already told us that, boy. Are you getting delirious from hunger?" Takato asked. Guilmon looked up. "Well yeah, but I actually meant that he's on his way here right this minute. And not only that, he's got Kyubimon and another Digimon with him." He pointed out in the distance, and sure enough, there was this giant fox running toward us... and Sunflowmon! I beamed and waved toward them. "They're not the only ones. Hey Anya! Over here!" Our lost friends came back. This Calumon they were talking about flew into a happy Takato's arms. He passed the little Digimon to Jeri. Henry borrowed Takato's PDA and started fooling around with the stylus.

"Playing a game?" I asked, trying to see what he was doing. "I'm tryin' to send an e-mail to Yamaki. I thought he could help us find a way outta here but this thing doesn't seem to work unless there's a storm," Henry answered. "Well when you finish with that, can I please have a turn, Takato?" I asked again. "This is important, Greg. Besides, I don't think Yamaki has any games on his device." "Hey dude, why don't we just ask Ryo? He knows how to get outta here," Kazu suggested. That ticked Rika off a bit. "Please, he doesn't know," she shot back.

Just then, I heard a motorcycle revving up. I looked around to see what it was, and there was something on a motorcycle. It was probably a Digimon. As it went along the upper part of the canyon, I saw that this Digimon had a long metallic tail. Just then, it revved up its bike and flew down right towards us, landing to our side.

"Who's that guy?" I asked Veemon. "Beats me," he answered as he shrugged. This Digimon reminded me of _Grease 2_, a movie my mom loved. She had it recorded on tape. At the time, I didn't like musicals that much. The Digimon let out an evil chuckle. "Hmm hmm hmm..." "Well at least he's got a sense of humor. But there's something oddly familiar about him," Terriermon said as he glared at him. Henry pulled out his D-Arc. I pulled mine out as well and tried analyzing. Nothing came up. "I can't get any data on this guy," Henry lamented. He looked to the Digimon. "You a Deva that was kicked out of the program?" he asked. "I got my own program," the Digimon answered evilly. He sounded just like a biker thug, and in a way he sounded like Veemon. Kyubimon, who I figured was Renamon's digivolved form, gasped. She identified the rider. "Impmon!" "Impmon?" Veemon and I asked each other. "Impmon, hah. That loser doesn't exist anymore. This is my true form, the name's Beelzemon! " the rider growled. At that point, the data came up on Henry's and my D-Arcs. "Beelzemon, Mega level. His Double Impact and Darkness Claw attacks are almost always lethal!" Henry moaned. Beelzemon drew out a gun and pointed it at Kyubimon. "A Mega level? Oh man, that's as strong as WarGreymon," I told the others. Most of the others responded with, "We know." "Make that always," Beezlemon growled again.

There's a level of fear that comes into the human heart in certain occasions. It's the kind of fear that makes you want to freeze in your tracks and play dead. It's also the kind of fear that makes your body want to relieve itself just so you won't have to when you're dead. That's just what happened to me. "Uh... Veemon... we might just... want to do something right now. Is that OK with you?" Veemon slowly nodded.

Did that stop me? No. What we needed in this situation was hope. So, I quickly went for my cards and focused. Well, I focused only as much as a person can when they're staring at a Digimon at gunpoint and had just lost control of their basic bodily functions. This was my big chance. I picked out the right card, put the others away, and prepared to scan it.

"DIGI-MODIFY! DIGI EGG OF HOPE ACTIVATE!"

**ARMOR DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Veemon Armor Digivolve To..." The new Digimon appeared, along with his name in both Roman letters and katana. "Sagittarimon, the Best Hope on Earth!"

Sagittarimon looked just like a centaur. He had a bow and arrow, a blade on his forehead, and armor on his body. He kneeled and I got on. Ed must have had the same idea. "Digi-Modify! Digivolution Activate!" he yelled.

**DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Coronamon Digivolve To... Firamon!"

Thank goodness he was there, because he vocalized the plan I had in my head. "Come on, we've got to get out of here!" Beelzemon drew another gun and pointed it at us. "And where do you think you're going?" he asked menacingly. Sagittarimon drew three arrows and cocked them in his bow. "Oh, now you'll wish you hadn't done that. You're going to get what's going to you," he threatened. He let the arrows go, and it hit him on the head! Surprisingly, it didn't do anything.

Rika just looked angrier than she usually did. "I don't really care _who _he is!" She drew out a card and prepared to slash it. As she was scanning it, it turned blue! "Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution Activate!"

**MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Kyubimon Digivolve To..." Kyubimon jumped up and rolled into a ball, just like Sonic the Hedgehog. Then she transformed into a beautiful woman wearing robes I'd never seen before. She looked like she came from the Orient. A solar eclipse came in as she was spinning. I didn't look at it because you're not supposed to look directly at a solar eclipse. "Taomon!"

"Is it safe to look?" I asked Sagittarimon. "Yeah it is," he replied. It looked like her arms were too small for her robe sleeves, but she stood in front of us and pulled her hand out. "Talisman Spell!" she called, and she generated a shield around all of us. Beelzemon fired a shot, but it didn't do any good. Another storm broke out. "Aw nuts! I'll finish this later!" he yelled as he put his gun away. Just then, a giant metallic dog-like Digimon appeared out of nowhere. "It's over for you and your humans," the dog threatened. "Not just yet," Taomon answered. We all pulled out our D-Arcs and got the data. Rika was the first to get it. "Caturamon, ultimate level, exalted beast digimon. That guy's a Deva!" "What's a Deva?" I asked. "Bad news," Henry somberly replied.

Caturamon let out a giant sound wave from his mouth. "HOWL OF THE HEAVENS!" It broke the shield and we went flying! "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" As usual, Leomon grabbed Jeri. "Got ya!" he called. Calumon wasn't as lucky as he flew away. The dog jumped up, grabbed him, and flew away. Taomon used another Talisman Spell, but it wasn't done in time. Takato, Henry, Terriermon, Sagittarimon, Firamon, Ed, and I all got sucked into separate data streams. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

* Boet- male friend

* Помогите! - "HELP!"

*_give rocks, to_ – to be indifferent.

* * *

Hey, I'm sorry it took longer than usual to come up with this one. I tried being true to the episode this time, had the transcript and watched it on YouTube. This is turning out to be pretty good, isn't it? What do you guys think of it?

Also, if you're wondering why Veemon's Ultimate form didn't premiere this chapter, I'm actually trying to space out the digivolution progression. I started this fanfic at episode 25 of _Tamers. _Takato and the gang are way ahead of Greg and his crew. I'm actually thinking of debuting Veemon's ultimate during the Beezlemon/Megidramon/Gallantmon battle. Much like Takato is the expy of Tai, Greg is trying to be the expy of Davis/02 T.K. (without the DNA Digivolution, of course).

Also coming up, we've got another MusicBreak and this time we're headed to the boy band era of the 90's.

If you have any comments or suggestions, please let me know. I'd appreciate it.


	11. Chapter 9: Let The Water Hold Me Down

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 9: Let The Water Hold Me Down

Greg

Henry, Takato, Terriermon, Sagittarimon, Firamon, Ed, and I were all falling. "Where are we goin' anyway?! " Takato screamed. "You really think I have any idea? " Henry asked in disbelief. "That's the million dollar question," I answered. "Moumentai!" Terriermon said. "Oh moumentai yourself!" Henry shot back. "Uh, Henry. What does 'moumentai' mean?" I asked. "If we make it, you'll be the first to know," he promised. So we kept falling until it started getting dark.

And then... we splashed down. They say water landings are best done landing feet-first. Well, that didn't happen. Sagittarimon and Firamon dedigivolved upon impact. The worst part of it was that I never saw the water coming so I had a limited amount of air. I'm not a very good swimmer. Sure, I could save my life, but at that point I could never say I was comfortable in the water. So in this much water, I thought this was going to be the end. I was going to die, right there, in a dimension far away from my family and friends. All I could think was, "This is it, Greg. You're going to die."

Just before I began to voluntarily black out, I saw the others attempting to swim up. I thought about it for a split second. It seemed much longer than that because everything takes longer when you're about to die. "You can't give up. Not now," I thought. "Not when your new friends are still fighting for survival. What would Davis and the others do?" So I started swimming up as well.

It seemed like minutes. Time ticks away slowly when the last thing you have is whatever air is left in your lungs. Those feelings of desperation exist when you're fighting for your life. But I made it. Even though I was a Boy Scout, I was not prepared. Sure, I had my backpack, but I was sure all the cards were now ruined. I stuck a Meowth card in a hot tub once and left it there. It started falling apart. Then there was my D-Arc. It had never been in water before.

When we got out of the water and onto dry land, the first thing I did was start to unbutton my shirt. "Uh, guys... I didn't bring any extra dry clothes. So, I just want to warn you that..." "Moumentai, Greg," Terriermon said with a smile. "But what does that mean?" I asked him. He laughed. "Silly, it means 'Take it easy'. Relax." I smiled too. "Oh, so it's like 'Hakuna Matata'?" Now it was Terriermon's turn to be confused. "Huh? What's that?" he asked. I looked to the others. "Have either of you seen _The Lion King?" _I asked. Henry stepped in. "It means the same thing as 'moumentai'," he explained. "Oh... oh well." Terriermon dived back in the water.

Takato got down in the dumps. "Man this whole world is against me. I'm never gonna get back to Guilmon," he sighed. As usual, Henry cheered him up. "Come on, don't give up Takato. I'm sure we'll find a way outta here." I stripped down to my underwear and smelled the center crotch of my jeans. Hmmm, that water took out the urine. I just had to share the news with the others. "Hey, I don't know what's in this water but it works great on urine stains," I announced. "Why don't you speak up? I don't think everyone heard you," Veemon replied. "I said, 'I don't know what's in this water but it works great on urine stains!'" No one responded.

I checked my backpack to make sure everything was working. To my surprise, the cards that I kept in the front pocket were still safe and dry. I checked the D-Arc to make sure it was still working... and it was! I couldn't believe it! I could not believe they were still working! I was glad, but still.

A few minutes later, Terriermon came out of the water and shook himself dry. "Any luck?" Henry asked. "Only bad luck," his Digimon responded. "Well that's par for the course. Not even any other caves like this one?" Terriermon just shook his head. "Mm um." "You sure?" "You wanna check?" "NO!" Ed and I shouted together as we headed to the back of the cave. Veemon and Coronamon joined us. Ed spoke up. "You know, when I think about it, we shouldn't be standing here doing nothing. There's got to be a way out." "Yeah, but how?" Takato asked hopelessly. "Well, gee, I don't know, but maybe we can build a submarine out of all your negative energy," Henry snarked. Veemon and I fist-bumped and nodded our heads in agreement. Henry Wong could lay it down with the rest of them. "You're right, sorry." He looked around. "Hey maybe we can dig our way out of here." I quickly checked my bag. I didn't have a card that could dig. Luckily, Henry was way ahead of everyone as he pulled out the right card and did those hand motions with his D-Arc and his card. "Digi-Modify! Digmon's Drill Activate!" he called. "Wait a second, Henry. Your voice had an echo in it as you were shouting 'activate'. I've never noticed that before," Ed cut in. "Oh, I usually don't think about it that much. Why don't you try it?" He handed Ed his card.

When Ed scans a card, he usually does one long sweeping motion going diagonally, like he's striking a power chord on a guitar. "Digi-Modify! Digmon's Drill Activate!" he shouted. Coronamon's front paws became drills, just like Terriermon's horn. The two Digimon ran into the rock wall and started drilling. Sure enough, Ed's voice had the echo at the end as well. I never noticed that before either. I wanted to try it too, but Veemon just shook his head. "We don't need to prove anything to them," he said. "You're right. Maybe later," I answered.

"You guys owe me huge for the headache I'm gonna get," Terriermon complained. "If I had any aspirin, it would be yours," I offered. "And you call yourself a Boy Scout?" the little Digimon shot back.

After a few minutes, he hit paydirt. Rather, he hit water. Thinking quickly, I put my clothes back on while Henry scanned another card. "Digi-Modify! Frigimon's Subzero Ice Punch Activate!" If there's one thing I learned about being a Tamer, it's that you have to call your cards quickly. So once again, Terriermon ran toward the hole, this time with white boxing gloves. He punched the water, and it froze up. "Whoa that was a close one," Takato noted. "Now what? We can't dig our way out if there's only water on the other side of this rock," Henry lamented.

Takato looked through his backpack again and pulled out his PDA. "Hey what about this?" he asked. Henry just shook his head. "No way." "Come on, Takato, this is no time to be fooling around with that PalmPilot. It's obviously fried," I said. However, I had to think about it. "But if that were the case, then why did Henry's and Ed's D-Arcs work?" Takato started tapping with the stylus. "It's worth a try... Uh, it turned on. Hold on, what is? Whoa!" "What is it, what is it?" I asked impatiently. "It's an e-mail from Yamaki," Takato answered in amazement. He laughed. That reminded me of something. My parents probably wondered where I was. "Hey, if that can get messages from the real world, then maybe Ed and I can contact our parents," I suggested. "There's an answer!" Takato shouted in excitement. We were all on the edge of our proverbial seats. "What's it say?!" Henry demanded to know. "Hold on... All of our parents are there, every one of 'em. All of them want to know how we're doing. I shouldn't have sent that SOS. Now they're gonna think that something really horrible's happened to us. Oh well, I guess I better get writing. Okay, how do you say that we almost drowned and now we're trapped in a cave with no way out and make it sound reassuring? …..It's better than school?" "Now wait a second, my parents are all the way in Texas. I need to send them an e-mail," I told him. I made my way toward the PDA. "Not right now," Henry insisted. I sighed. "Would you at least pass on my e-mail address to them, please?" I asked. I gave my parents' e-mail address to Takato, after which Ed passed on his parents' e-mail address. "Uh, let everyone else talk? Well okay. 'Hi, this is Rika, Takato finally gave me the stupid stylus so I can write. I'm fine.' 'This is Jeri, I'm', uh, 'peachy.' Ha ha, perfect." He continued writing. "Hey Henry, what do you think Kazu would say to his parents? Something snotty, right?" Henry took a drink of water from his hands. "Probably yeah, uh can I talk to my Dad for a minute?" he asked. Takato gave him the PDA, much to my chagrin. He started writing.

"Kay, now here's what I think happened. When we touched the water, we _thought_ we were supposed to get wet so _we did_, but this device didn't know to think that so it didn't get wet and it didn't break. So all we have to do is believe that we won't drown and we can _breathe the water_! What do ya think?" There was a silence for about 5 seconds, then Veemon and I burst into laughter. "Where's the pixie dust?" I asked jokingly. Terriermon scratched his head with his right ear. "Pixie dust? What are you talking about?" he asked. I explained it to them. "Oh, I'll explain it to you. Henry's scheme here reminds me of a favorite movie of mine, _Peter Pan. _This guy comes in from Neverland with Tinker Bell, sprinkles pixie dust on everyone, and tells them to think happy thoughts and they fly around." Ed just looked onto the water. "What other choice do we have? Either we try this plan or we stay trapped here until we run out of air. I say we go for it," he suggested. "Oh no, no no no. I'm not swimming down there hoping not to drown. I'll stay in here and run out of air first," I insisted. "All right, you skeptics. How about the two of you come down with me?" Henry grinned. "I could make it worth your while," he added. "How so?" I asked. Henry looked in the inside pocket of his vest and pulled out 2 cards. Veemon gasped. "Greg, do you realize what dat is? Dat's the Digi-Egg of Courage!" "Right. I never use them, but I keep them with me just in case. I've got one for each of you. All I ask is that you stay down there for 100 seconds, no more, no less." I wasn't sure about it. "What's the matter? You scared?" That was a challenge and I knew it. Henry was doing the exact same thing that Izzy did to Davis in the first episode of the second season. I'll admit, I was scared. "Yes, I am scared, but this is too big to pass up. Takato, send another e-mail. Tell whoever is over there to tell my parents everything in case I die." "Oh stop being so dramatic, Greg. Come on," Veemon said as he started in for the dive. He jumped in. "YAHOO!" I decided to jump in as well. Ed and Henry joined in, leaving the cards with Takato.

Boy, I wish I had borrowed Takato's goggles. I had to make this work. I held my breath because I wasn't convinced. I started thinking to myself. "OK, Greg. You've got to make this work. I can breathe the water... I can breathe the water... I am not getting wet. I am... floating in free air... that just happens to be full of fish and aquatic life. This is not water... now just let your air go, and you will breathe." I looked to Veemon and Ed, who nodded. Then I counted to 3 with my fingers and we all let go of our breath. I tell you, it was awesome. The water seemed to increase its oxygen output. It felt like air conditioning air, not natural air. Still, I could actually breathe the water. It wasn't filling up my lungs. "See, what'd I tell you?" Henry said. "Whoa... this is actually working!" I answered. We had a good time with the rest of those 100 seconds.

Then, we swam right back up to natural air. Takato helped us out. "You sure had me worried, you okay?" he asked. Henry just smiled. "It worked great, here touch my hair." He leaned over and let Takato touch his hair, which he did. "Huh? It's dry." "See? No pixie dust," I added. Takato gave Ed and me each the cards Henry had promised. "Thanks," we said.

Later, all of us dived in. Takato held his breath. "Huh? Takato, it's okay, just breathe," Henry instructed. "But-" As soon as Takato opened his mouth, he started to choke on water. "Ha ha ha, you sure are funny, Takato," Terriermon laughed. "Yeah, ha ha." On our way, we tried doing some underwater acrobatics. Terriermon bounced off the sand and swam back up. Veemon and I played leapfrog while Ed and Coronamon did a few somersaults. Takato wasn't as lucky as he bounced on his rear then swam back up. "And so graceful," Terriermon added facetiously. "Yeah, I'll give ya graceful." Takato snuck up and gave Terriermon a noogie.

We kept swimming and fooling around until we reached a circle drawn on a sea wall. "Vertical hopscotch? " Takato asked. "No, that's not big enough to be a hopscotch field, it's got to have a bunch of squares," I answered. Henry, of course, had the better idea. "Wait a minute, are those cracks? Maybe it's a door." So, we swam up to it and tried to open it. Terriermon and Veemon dove into it and it turned around, bringing us all into another underwater cave. We saw 3 little tadpole-like Digimon and got out our D-Arcs. Henry's pulled up the data the fastest. "Otamamon, rookie level, special attack Stun Bubble. I doubt they'll give us any trouble." Takato scared the fish, but then a much bigger one came out. He looked like he was wearing a scuba tank and a wet suit. Mine pulled up the data the fastest this time. "Hmmm, let's see here. Divermon, ultimate level, special attack... Striking Fish?" "Striking Fish!" Divermon shouted as he threw his spear at us. "Oh I get it now!" Henry realized. "Yeah, he's a fish and he's striking at us," Veemon added. Divermon threw another spear at Terriermon who dodged it. But after the fish threw Terriermon to the side, Henry got mad and got into the fight. The rest of us hid behind a rock.

[BGM: "Green Tamer Terrier Power" by Ron Wasserman (substitute the words "White" "Ranger" and "Tiger" for "Green" "Tamer" and "Terrier" respectively)]

[Alt. BGM: "Ai no Soldier (TV Size)" by Hironobu Kageyama ]

This was probably the first time I saw a Tamer take on a Digimon by himself. He'd told me before that he had taken karate classes, but I truly didn't believe it until now. I'm telling you, if he wasn't already a Tamer, he could have been a Power Ranger. Maybe he can still be one, I'm not sure. He started off by chasing him a bit, then jumping up. He then kicked the harpoon out of Divermon's hand, where Takato caught it after it went flying about a few feet. "Ah!" He then caught him in a headlock and rammed him into a small jagged rock structure. Terriermon spun around very quickly. "Terrier Tornado!" The tornado sent him into the wall! Now we could finish him off. If Henry could do it with all that training, I could just as well do it without. I would've done it too... if Ed hadn't pulled me back. Divermon hit the floor, and all those Otamamon gathered around him.

Later... "So you thought we attacked the Otamamon?" Henry asked. "We'd never attack these little guys," Takato chimed in. Divermon had a voice like Bullwinkle. "Sorry about that, sometimes I get overprotective. Sorry, sorry, and sorry again." He and the Otamamon bowed their heads in shame. Terriermon landed down on the sand. "Moumentai, no one got hurt." "Except for you. Is there a way out of here? We're just looking for a world that's not completely made of water." Takato explained.

Divermon pointed us to a tube jetting out of the wall. "Okay, now some creatures have gone through this pipe and never returned and some say it leads to a whole other world." Terriermon swam in and came out electrocuted. "Jeez Louise, who plugged in the big toaster?" he asked. "Oh sorry about that, I should've warned you, double sorry!" Divermon apologized. At that point, Henry came up with yet another idea. The boy was and still is a certified genius, and I was getting pretty miffed. "Veemon, one of these days, I'll have to come up with an idea," I told my friend out of the others' earshot.

So, two groups of Otamamon spit out air bubbles around us, and they all formed giant bubbles. Those bubbles went up into the pipe. "As long as these don't burst, we're fine," I said. "Yeah. Otherwise, it's Electric City," Veemon added. "Something tells me we're in for a long ride," Ed commented.

We continued up until we reached a bright light. That led to a whole network of pipes. "Ah..." The pipe we went along went into a giant bubble; kind of like a sperm cell entering an egg. Once we got in, our bubble burst, and so did Takato's and Henry's! Takato held his hand to his mouth again. "So much for good ideas, what do we do now?" he asked in a muffled voice. "We can swim down a tub if we have to," Henry suggested. "Whoa..." We all looked up to see what he was looking at. They were little glowing white things. They glowed, purred, and giggled. "What are they? Some kind of Digimon?" Takato asked. I pulled out my D-Arc and attempted to look them up. "My D-Arc's got nothing," I said. They flew away, so we decided to follow them. That meant more swimming. "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming," Veemon repeated over and over.

We swam until we approached a large building. "That's weird, it looks like a library," Henry said. "Oh great, we're in a whole different world and I still can't get away from homework," Takato quipped. "But it's the middle of summer," I protested. Terriermon opened the door, and a white light shone.

"Should we just...go in?" Takato asked. We did anyway, and as we did, we dropped to our feet. Apparently, we had crossed over into regular air and ground. Takato lifted his goggles back up to his hair. "Ah... Someone must be here, there's electricity." I also heard water dripping, so Veemon and I went to investigate. Sure enough, there were small puddles on the floor. "I wonder where that water came from, Veemon," I thought out loud. "Eh, probably someone who forgot not to think wet thoughts," he figured. That was good enough for me.

As we walked through, we saw row after row of books. Ed picked one up. "Hmm... _The Theory of Absolute Zero, Volume Two. _Sounds a bit higher grade for me," he said. "Man this is like a studying nightmare, you couldn't get through all these books if you read for a hundred years," Takato added. "Two hundred for you," Terriermon quipped. He and Henry laughed.

We climbed up the stairs until we reached a pair of doors. Those opened up to reveal a more brightly lit classroom. "Whoa..." The room had what looked like a giant model of a D-Arc hanging from the ceiling. "Is that a giant Digivice or is it just me?" Takato asked. "Well it sure doesn't look like you," Terriermon zinged. "Ha ha, very funny," the goggle-head shot back sarcastically. Just then, Veemon spotted something. "Look over dere!" It was a transparent man wearing a baseball cap and a hospital gown, sleeping face first at his desk. "It looks like he's asleep." I started to sneak out. "Well we shouldn't wake him up, heh heh heh..." I said, heading for the door. Ed stopped me with a hand to my shoulder. "Aww man, I can't get away with anything."

We walked up closer to the desk. "Um, excuse me sir, are you awake?" Henry asked. The man lifted one eye and got up slightly. "Hello, been a while since I've seen someone solid." "Well that's something you don't hear everyday," Takato replied. "What do you want?" Henry asked another question. "Who are you? Are you...human? Or some kind of Digimon?" "My name is Mizuno and as to being human...well the answer is yes. At least I used to be," the man answered as he took off his baseball cap. "Does that mean you're dead?" I asked. Veemon nudged me, I looked down, and he shook his head. "Why waste time with meaningless questions? I already know who you are and how you got here because well... heh heh, I'm the one who created you, heh." "Huh?" we asked. "We're just as real as you are, you didn't create us," Takato added. "Are you sure? Maybe you're all dreaming like me." Mizuno's eyes widened. "Maybe all beings everywhere are dreaming about what they will become and when we all wake, we will begin our evolution." "You mean digivolution, right?" I asked. "I'm sorry, but all questions _must_ be submitted in writing," he answered. Takato held out his D-Arc. "Hey how come our Digivices look like that big thing you've got hanging from your ceiling?" he asked. "They're arcs...for transporting data. "

"Arcs?" Henry asked. "I heard my Dad mention them once. You're not one of his old friends, are you? His name is Janyu Wong, he used to work with a group of programmers called Monster Makers." He got up slowly and smiled. "What? You mean Tao. I remember. That was a long time ago, so you're his son?" "Yes I am, my name is Henry Wong." Terriermon jumped up on his shoulder. "I'm Terriermon." I gave my Scout salute. "Greg Logan; Troop 282, Flower Mound, Texas." "My name's Ed Jordan-Phillips and this is Coronamon." Coronamon shyly waved. "We're trying to go back home." "And I'm Takato. Can you help us?" "Well I suppose I could, but I can't really promise you anything. It's...you see...getting all the way back is...not as easy as you'd think," he explained. I thought about it for a minute. "You're dodging the question, aren't you?" I asked, trying to corner him. "No, I'm not. I really can't promise you anything." "Can we use one of these digivices or arcs?" Takato asked. Mizuno motioned for a book to come to him, and it did. It even opened. "Perhaps. One of the functions of the arcs is to act as toolboxes to store, organize, and connect data. They can be used to bring kindred pairs together just like the animals on Noah's Ark. But not even I'm sure of all they can do."

Those white, floating things came in with another book. "Hey what are those giggling guys anyway?" Takato asked again. We sat down. "They're digital gnomes, I call them Digi-Gnomes," Mizuno answered. "Are they some kind of Digimon?" Henry inquired. Mizuno actually gave us a straight answer. "No. They're another form of artificial intelligence that evolved on their own. It just seemed logical to call them Digi-Gnomes, at least to me." "So they're not Digimon?" Ed asked. I was starting to get tired of playing 20 Questions, but I didn't even start to count. "Not really, they evolved from the Digital World itself. You see, just as the human body is made up of cells and Digimon are made up of data, the Digital World is a living thing made up of Digimon and other creatures and as the digital creatures evolve so does the Digital World." One of the gnomes brought in a blue card, the same one I had when I first met Veemon. "Hey it's a blue card!" Takato said, relatively excited. "Well, it may look like a card to you, but it's really an algorithm, a mathematical formula," Mizuno explained. "Hmmm?" "I'm sure Tao and the other forgot about Digimon when the project ended, but I wanted to complete our work. So, I created an algorithm that would allow Digimon to evolve on their own, beyond what we humans could imagine for them. I originally wrote the algorithm to prove that Digimon were more than just toys, that they were a true life form that could grow on their own. But I gather that the blue cards have a different meaning for the two of you. So how do you guys use the algorithm I wrote?" "Well I don't know about the algorithm part, but we use the blue cards to become Digimon Tamers," Takato answered. A Digi-Gnome sat on Terriermon's head. "Hm, that makes sense. The Digital World is all about communication and all communication is about bringing things in touch. Seems the blue card algorithm is being used for a purpose I didn't quite intend, to bring Digimon and people together as partners."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute... why didn't the original 8 DigiDestined get these cards?" I asked. Now it was Mizuno's turn to ask questions. "Original 8 DigiDestined?" "Yeah." I listed them off on my fingers. "There's Tai, Matt, Sora, Mimi, Joe, Izzy, T.K., and Kari... I especially like Kari." I released a huge sly smile. The man still looked confused. "I'm sorry, I'm not quite familiar with those names," he confessed. "How about Taichi, Yamato, Sora, Mimi, Koushiro, Joe, Takeru, and Hikari?" Takato tried. Mizuno shook his head again and went on. Two Digi-Gnomes shifted the D-Arc in Takato's hands, and it became something of a mini-projector. The image was a crude drawing of Guilmon. "Hey, that's my drawing of Guilmon!" The drawing eventually became a small model of Guilmon. "It seems the Digi-Gnomes used packets of data to create him when you dreamed him up, probably an attempt to communicate with you. Or maybe _Guilmon_ dreamed his data into existence and _you_ simply became aware of him," Mizuno explained. "Huh?" Terriermon jumped from Henry's head to his shoulder. "Does that mean I was created especially for Henry?" he asked. "Yeah created especially to annoy me," Henry quipped. "Hey!" "Well am I wrong?" "Admit it Henry, you'd be lost without me." "Looks like I'm lost with you too." "Or maybe Henry was created for you," Mizuno suggested. "Wait a minute, are you now suggesting that the _human _could have been created for the _Digimon?" _I asked. Mizuno just spun his hat around on his finger. "_We_ are the Monster Makers... and _we_ are the dreamers of dreams." Ed came up with a question. "OK, here's a question. Whenever any of us scan a card, I hear this piece of music. I can't figure it out." He started singing the music. Mizuno smiled. "Oh yeah, I know that one. It's by an artist named Oota Michihiko. Look him up," he answered. "Well, why do we hear it?" Ed followed up. "And what about the echo?" Mizuno sighed. "That I do not know. I guess it's one of those great mysteries of life," he wistfully replied. One fact stuck with Takato, though. "Guilmon is _data_."

Henry went back to the question that was on everyone's minds. "Do you know of a way to get out of here and back to the Real World?" "Yes, the highest plane." "So we've gotta keep going up? Man, how many levels are there to this place?" "There is only one more level above this one and it is the level which the four most powerful and most evolved Digimon have made their home." "Oh great," Takato said. "Guys, this makes sense in some way. It's like a video game. Once we beat these bosses, we win and we can go home," I explained. "The most powerful Digimon, you mean the Sovereign?" Henry asked. Something came to Takato. "Wait a minute, there's four of them? If they're like Azulongmon from the TV show they must be huge. Do they protect the Digital World?" Mizuno explained again. "It is rather ironic, don't cha think? The Digimon have tried to evolve into larger and stronger forms to set themselves apart from the humans who created them, but they've ended up taking on the forms of ancient gods of the humans. Digimon and humans will never be able to separate themselves from each other, they live in the same world really. And it's only when that's recognized that the next evolution will begin. " "You mean Digivolution, right?" I tried to correct. Veemon nudged me again. Mizuno shook his head. "If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it," he simply answered. "I take it your favorite movie is _Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?" _Ed asked. The man nodded his head. "If they protect this place then they're good, right?" Takato asked. "That's not what Sensei says. Good and evil can switch definitions depending on your perspective. Let's just hope that our perspective is the right one," Henry answered. "The Sovereign, as you call them, seem to want to accelerate Digivolution in order to resist something. It seems they're afraid they won't survive unless they find a way to defeat whatever they feel is coming for them. " "Could it be like someone Yamaki used to be?" Henry reached something of a realization. "Or maybe it could be us!" "Maybe it's me, ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Mizuno chimed in. Veemon and I face-vaulted. Just then, a white beam fired out of the small hole in the bottom of the D-Arc model. The ceiling turned blue. "Whoa..." Then I felt the pull come in, like a tractor beam. It took us up. "Huh? Wh-what's going on?" I panicked. "That is all I can tell you now, the rest you must learn on your own, I'm afraid," Mizuno said. "But what about you?" Takato asked. "I'm very tired, I must sleep now. Ah to sleep, perchance to dream..." The last we saw of Mizuno was him falling asleep at his desk.

Our giant Digivice ship was bare-bones, just operating by itself. All it had was a giant window to look out of. "Man, I wish they had loaded this up with some amenities," I said. "That's only wishful thinking," Ed answered. "Oh yeah? That must make me the King of Wishful Thinking," I shot back. We both laughed. Takato, however, was deadly quiet. "Takato, you seem quiet all of a sudden," Henry said. "Sorry, I was just thinking about Guilmon and if what that guy told us was really true. If Guilmon is a part of me, and he's data, am I data?" he asked. "Hmmm..." "What's the big deal? What's wrong with data? All Digimon are like that," Terriermon answered. "I guess. It's just that...it's weird." It was quiet for a few minutes, then we heard a hum. "Are we going up? My ears are popping." "Mizuno said the Land of the Digimon Sovereign was above us, maybe we're goin' there," Henry thought out loud. "So uh, how do we steer this thing?" Takato asked. We looked around for a steering wheel or a control panel. "I don't see anything," I said. "I don't think we need to, it's probably guided by the digital space-time fabric," Henry answered. "Uh huh...ugh, sometimes I miss the Real World, at least I understand stuff there." "I miss the pastries of the Real World," Terriermon added. I just sat there and smiled. "That sounds good right about now," I said. "Is there anything you miss that can't be found in a lunchbox?" Henry asked. The little bunny or dog Digimon- I still can't figure out whether he's a bunny or a dog- thought about it. "Well...I guess there's...Suzie," he answered. Henry kneeled down on the floor and put his hand on his partner's head. "Well if you miss being Princess PwettyPants that much..." he started moving Terriermon's ears up and down like a kid. "And being cuddled..." As he started to squeeze him tight, Terriermon jumped away. "That's not funny! Thinking about it still gives me the jeebies." The two Japanese Tamers laughed. "Sounds like you know a lot about this girl, Henry," I commented. "Of course, she's my little sister. Suzie's her English name. Her Cantonese name is Shaochung**,**" Henry said. "Oh yeah, tell me about it. I've got a younger brother, about 3 years younger than me," I explained. Wait a minute... "Did you just say Cantonese?" I quickly asked. Henry nodded. "My dad's Chinese and my mom's Japanese." "Huh?" We spent about another hour just looking out the window and talking.

* * *

Oh, and if you're curious about the title of this chapter, it's a line from the Talking Heads song "Once in a Lifetime."


	12. Chapter 10: Hot Blood and Cold Murder

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 10: Hot Blood and Cold Murder

Greg

We were continuing on our way when we had to make a layover. Apparently, Henry's sister Suzie was taken into the Digital World. She made friends with a Deva, Antylamon, and was then forcefully dedigivolved into a chocolate-colored version of Terriermon named Lopmon. She looks just like Terriermon except she's black and pink! At least she isn't making cracks about me all day. Thank goodness for that. As for Suzie, she's quite a handful. She reminds me of my brother, annoying. "Who wants to hear another whyme? I do! I do!" she shouted as she grabbed both Terriermon and Lopmon's ears. "1, 2, 3, 4 who's the bunny I adore? 5, 6, 7, 8 my new bunny smells like cake!" "It's a Digimon, not a bunny," I tried to explain as I got to her level. "Huh? You mean my bunny's a Digimon?" she asked. "Uh... yeah. Just like Veemon looks like a lizard, or dragon, or whatever he is..." I tried to explain. "I'm a dragon Digimon," Veemon said. I gave my partner a thumbs-up, which he returned. "Aww let her have her fun," Ed suggested.

Henry looked worried. "Hm, I can't believe Suzie's here. It's not safe for her; and my parents, they're probably climbin' the walls by now," he said. "Don't worry, after we find Calumon and the others we'll get her back pronto," Takato said with complete determination. At that point, the Digi-gnomes flew back in and Takato lightened up. "Hey, well look who's here! What's up, guys?" One of them started talking to Takato. "Sorry fella, I don't speak gnome." One of them came up to me. He didn't say much. At least it didn't sound like anything to me. "What language are you speaking?" I asked him. He just shrugged. "Oh look, the fireflies are back," Suzie observed. Henry just stood there holding his chin in thought. "They must be trying to tell us something. If the Digi-gnomes are the ones who brought the blue cards to the Real World there had to be a reason for it, something thy want us to do," he said. "Maybe they want us to take these evil Digimon Sovereign down a notch," Veemon suggested. "I don't know, but I have a funny feeling it's important," Henry replied. The Digi-gnomes started flying towards this cave.

"Huh?" Takato started running after them. "Huh, wait up! Hey I have some questions about my Digimon! Come back!" They left. We thought about it, but Henry had an idea "Hey Lopmon," Henry said, "Do you know a digimon named Calumon?" Takato showed Suzie's Digimon a drawing. Lopmon carefully looked at the drawing. "Well of course I know who he is, he's the one who holds the key to Digivolution. The Sovereign need this power to protect our world from those who want to destroy it. That's why they created us Devas out of data of Digimon that are now gone. To help them on their quest," she said. This went right over Suzie's head. Poor kid. "Lopmon, you talking funny, I don't understand," she said. "She's trying to say that she was created by the Digimon Sovereign, Suzie," Henry explained. "Hmmm..." Suzie started thinking about it. Takato asked what seemed to me like the next logical question. "Uh, Lopmon, do you have any idea where Calumon's being held?" "Yes, I do. I saw him being taken across the Phoenix Gate one day. That is where the Digimon Sovereign Zhuqiaomon lives, it's just beyond the South Gate I used to guard," she said.

Ed and I started pacing, our Digimon followed. Well, I was pacing. Veemon just walked back and forth. "Uh, Veemon, bend over slightly and put your claws behind your back. We're trying to look worried," Ed said. That's just what he did. "That better?" Veemon asked. "Yeah," I said.

"Well if we know where Calumon is then...let's get him!" Takato suggested, his fist clenched in determination. "No!" Henry objected. That caught the goggle-head off guard. "Huh? But why? What's the matter?" he asked. "Yeah, what's the matter?" Veemon echoed. Henry wouldn't say, he looked too worried. Terriermon quickly spoke up. "Moumentai! I know you're worried about Suzie, but she is a tamer you know," she said. "Yeah, just remember what happened to T.K. and Kari," I added, smiling. It didn't help Henry, but Suzie sure was convinced! "Yeah!" She took out her D-Power from her purse and showed it off to everyone. Lopmon ran right to the gate and blocked the path. "Hold it right there! We're not going anywhere!" she insisted. "Look Henry, I know you don't wanna leave Suzie, so why don't you just stay with her and I'll go? And Terriermon can come with me, if that's okay with you," Takato offered. I shook my head. "No no no, Suzie's a tamer," I said. I knelt down to her level. "Hey Suzie, I know I'm not supposed to ask a lady her age, but in your case I'll make an exception. How old are you?" I asked. "7," she answered. "7? Wow, that's only 2 years younger than Kari was when she started. You know what happened to her, right?" I asked. Suzie looked confused for a second, but then it came to her. "Oh that's right! Hikari and Takeru got to shoot arrows of light and hope into Yamato and Taichi making their Digimon evolve to Ultimate! YAY!" "Yeah... huh? I thought it was Mega," I said. "Greg, you're thinking in dub terms again. Ultimate in the original is named Mega in the dub," Henry explained. "Oh..." "Wait a moment," Ed interrupted, "How do we know Takato's D-Arc will work on Terriermon?" "Yeah, I don't think that's such a good idea," Henry added in dismay. "Oh come on, we'll test it," I suggested. I got up and looked in my backpack for a card. Takato tried to reassure Henry. "If it gets hairy we'll skedaddle right back. I'm not crazy, I don't wanna pick a fight with anyone powerful enough to create those Devas. But, if Lopmon's right and the Digimon Sovereign only wanna protect this world, maybe I can just talk to them." I found a card, but we soon discovered I'd need it myself.

BOOM! An explosion happened right behind Takato. Veemon and I ducked while the others shielded themselves. "What was that?!" the goggle-head demanded to know. We soon found out our answer as the dust cleared. It was the biker Digimon, Beezlemon "Hello kiddies!" he said. "Beelzemon!" Takato shouted in fear as he turned around. "You're not with your friends now, are ya punks? Oh well, I guess I'll just have to annihilate them later," he said as he drew his guns.

"Why are you doing this? What did we ever do to you?" Takato demanded to know. "It's nothing personal, it's just business. And I'm a business man," Beezlemon answered. "More like a hit man," Ed coldly responded. Henry drew out a card and went in for a DigiModify. "Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution Activate!"

**MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Terriermon Warp Digivolve To..." All of a sudden, Terriermon expanded and gained a metal frame around his body. It was like he was being covered in armor. "Rapidmon!"

"We better get involved as well," Ed commented as he pulled out his D-Arc. "Right!" Coronamon answered. Ed pulled out his card and got things rolling. "Digi-Modify! Digivolution Activate!"

**DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Coronamon Digivolve to... Firamon!"

I looked down to Veemon. "You think we should go in?" I asked. Veemon clenched his fist and got in position. "I don't just think it, _I know it!" _he answered. I looked for the card Henry gave me, the Digi-Egg of Courage. I was set as is, the courage was there, but I wanted to add that final touch. "Hey Takato! Can I borrow your goggles for a moment?" I asked, revealing my card. He quickly handed them over. I put them on my forehead, cleared out a spot, and got in position. "Ready to rock, Veemon?" I asked. My partner turned his head and nodded. "Umm hmmm." I spun the card around and went for the Slash. "Digi-Modify! Digi-Egg of Courage Activate!" As soon as I finished scanning it, I thrust my D-Arc forward. "DIGIARMOR ENER-GIZE!"

[BGM: Break Up! by Ayumi Miyazaki]

**ARMOR DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Veemon Armor Digivolve To..." The ball he was in transformed into the DigiEgg of Courage as elements from the egg implanted themselves into the network. What seemed like a few seconds later, Flamedramon appeared, along with his name in both Roman letters and katana. "Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!"

I quickly gave Takato back his goggles. "Thanks, man," I said as I turned my head toward him. He nodded and I quickly turned my head back to the battle, staring in awe at what had just happened. I pinched my arm. Yep, I was awake, and that was Flamedramon. He noticed. "Are you just going to stare at me?" he asked. "Uh, no. No. Flamedramon, go help out Rapidmon!" I directed. He jumped up and charged toward Rapidmon. I just stood there, keeping my eyes on Beezlemon. I figured if I didn't look away from my enemy, he might be slightly intimidated. I clenched my fist.

"Ha! I've eaten bigger Digimon for breakfast!" Beezlemon taunted. "Is that supposed to impress me?" Rapidmon fired back. He and Flamedramon jumped up. "Rapid Fire!" Rapidmon called as he fired powerful missiles from his arm cannons. Flamedramon surrounded himself with fire. "Fire Rocket!" Then he bomb dived toward Beezlemon and hit him dead on! "Yeah!" I cheered. "That ought to give him heartburn!" Our Digimon landed on the ground. After the dust cleared, our enemy was still standing. "Heh, that tickled," Beezlemon said. Then he aimed his guns. "Double Impact!" He fired, and our Digimon went flying. Firamon went in for a charge. "Flame Dive!" But it was no good. Beezlemon fired at him too. The flaming, flying lion Digimon crash landed. "Rapidmon, NO!" Henry shouted. "Tewwiermon!" Suzie screeched. "FLAMEDRAMON!" I shouted. I quickly searched my bag for something to use, some kind of card that would heal a Digimon. "Anybody got some kind of a healing card?" I asked urgently. Henry searched his vest pocket. "I got nothing," he said. Ed checked his deck as well. "Sorry." Takato just started at the situation hopelessly. "I feel...totally useless." He started tearing up. "Guilmon, Guilmon where are you?" He started mustering up all the air he could. "GUILMON!"

* * *

Anya

You tend to hear a lot of things in the desert. They're mostly mirages. What we heard was no mirage, and Growlmon was the first one to notice. For some odd reason, Guilmon had digivolved during our trip. "Hey Growlmon, what's going on?" Kazu asked. "It's Takato, I can hear him," Growlmon answered. That was worthy of a giant "Huh?" It came again, faintly. "Guilmon!" And then, there came a human sound which can be described as sheer horror. "Do you hear that, Growlmon?" Leomon asked. "That is the sound of ultimate suffering. Takato makes it now." I reflected upon what he had just said. "Yes, I know that sound well," I said.

However, that was not the only problem. Kazu was the first to observe it. "Data stream 12 o'clock! We gotta scram!" "Isn't Takato's voice coming from there?" Jeri asked. "You're right," Kyubimon agreed. "Well, you know what this means?" Kenta tried ducking behind Growlmon's ear. "No, and please don't tell me," he said. But Growlmon was determined, like a brave Cossack of my country. "I'm coming Takato," he assured, emboldened. And so, we braced ourselves for impact. I held on to Sunflowmon, Jeri climbed into Leomon's arms, and Guardromon climbed onto Growlmon's tail. Kazu had become partnered with the robotic Digimon during our search for the others. The stream came closer and closer, as Rika grabbed onto Kyubimon's ribbon. "Here it comes! On your marks! Get set!" It finally came.

* * *

Greg

I rushed over to where Flamedramon was. By the time I got there, I was out of breath. "I'm sorry... I couldn't find anything to heal you with," I said. I grabbed onto the base of his claw. Flamedramon just laid there. "It doesn't matter, Greg. You stood up to him, and that took a lot of courage." "Courage doesn't matter when you're dying," I said morosely.

I looked around at the situation. Suzie broke down and started crying. Henry went down and hugged her, all while glaring at Beezlemon. Ed just stood there, determination in his expression. We all wanted to kill the Digimon on the motorcycle, even if it meant doing it with our own bare hands. At least I did. For the first time in my young life, I felt just a degree of blood lust. It's perfectly understandable when your Digimon had just been slung over 50 feet into a hard granite-like floor. Takato looked just about ready to bawl himself. "Rapidmon! Talk to me! Are you okay?!" Henry asked urgently. Rapidmon struggled to get his head up. "Henry... he's too strong." Beezlemon just sat there chuckling. "No kidding. Compared to me you guys are amateur hour, you know dat? Pathetic humans and your Digi-pets. You make me wanna throw up, kick your butts, and then throw up again!" Takato spoke up in what was probably a last ditch effort. "Wait a minute! You're Impmon, remember? You went to camp with us, and played in the water with us. We even saved your life once, you're our friend!" That put our foe off guard. "Impmon...is nothing but a bad MEMORY!" He pointed the guns at us. "This Digimon's beyond reasoning with," Ed said. We were sure it was the end. I started saying my prayers, giving Flamedramon and me our Last Rites as it were. But it wasn't the end. Suddenly, a bright beacon of hope came down from the sky. The data stream fell right next to Takato. The stream was so bright, we had to shield our eyes. Out of the stream came the rest of the group, and no one was happier than our goggle-head! "You found us!" he shouted as he rushed toward them. "I'll be right back," I told Flamedramon as I started running towards the others.

By the time I got there, I was out of breath. Did I care? No. "Rika!" I ran to her and hugged her. She looked surprised and then gently shoved me away. "Takato, I missed you so much," Growlmon said. It was a touching moment... or at least it could've been. Takato started running toward his partner, then stopped. He looked worried. "What's the matter, Takato?" Growlmon asked, concerned.

It would've been a touching moment if Kyubimon hadn't tried to reason with that monster on the bike. What broke out was another fight. I rushed back toward Flamedramon. By the time I got there, he had reverted to Veemon. When we returned to the others, we were all starting to see a side of Takato we'd never seen before. "All right that's it! Get him Growlmon! I don't care who he used to be he's nothing but a monster now! Take him down!" he shouted. He wasn't just shouting, he looked like he could get in there and fight him himself. He punched the air. Jeri gasped. I gasped too."Takato... how could a sweet, innocent, timid young man like you become so bloodthirsty so quickly?" I asked. He ignored me. Beelzemon ran toward Growlmon and punched him in the face knocking him down. "So much for friendship, huh pineapple head? Don't worry I'll deal with you later," he said, looking in Rika's direction. Rika was too busy rushing to her fallen friend. She searched through her deck for something. "These stupid cards are useless! I can't do anything!" she cried in despair as she threw them into the air. Ed, Anya, and I started picking them up. She had a lot of rare cards.

Beezlemon nearly went for the kill, but someone came in! It was Leomon! "Look at you! Someone who follows orders doesn't have the power to decide for himself," he growled, struggling. "You keep outta this!" our foe warned. The struggling continued. "Do what you must... but I refuse to let you harm these children!" He punched Beezlemon in the face! "To have power is not to be strong. I don't believe your fate is to be hurting the children," Leomon said. It was a moment you had to see to believe. Here they were, two forces battling it out. Of course, Beezlemon just had to go and do the unthinkable. He punched his claw right through Leomon! The mighty lion screamed in agony and fell to the ground, defeated. This wasn't the kind of clean killing you see on TV. No, this was far worse. This was the kind of murder that was unforgivable, the kind that Cain committed to Abel. I felt this sick, twisted feeling in my stomach. At that point, I just did whatever I could to get it out. I wasn't the only one. Kazu and Kenta felt the same way.

We carefully looked at the scene. There was Leomon, lying on the floor, with a gaping acidic hole where his stomach used to be. "Why can't you... see? Why won't you try to- understand the truth?" he asked. Then, his data broke up from the bottom to the top. Jeri was there sobbing her brains out, and I don't blame her. She watched as the rest of Leomon faded away. She let out the sound of ultimate suffering. "No!" She dropped her D-Arc, which was releasing a soft, static noise. Beezlemon just stood there, absorbing the data into himself. That meant no Digi-Egg. "No, to have power is to be strong. I'll keep loading data till no one can stop me! No one! NO ONE!" Growlmon couldn't figure it out. "But he...was just trying to help us and you..." Then his eyes went red. So were Takato's. "How could you? How could you do this HORRIBLE thing!? I'll make you hurt, I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!" Call me crazy, but I thought I saw a red aura gather around him. Growlmon silently gained a metallic armor. I looked him up on my D-Arc. "WarGrowlmon, an Android Digimon, Ultimate Level," I breathed. I could see where this was going. I ran to Henry. "This doesn't look good," I warned him. The angry Tamer and his equally angry Digimon both roared at the top of their lungs. "What's going on? What is happening to the two of you?" Jeri asked in fear. Kazu ran in to try to get her out of harm's way, but she jerkily brushed him off. She'd lost it completely. "Everyone just leave me ALONE!"

Beezlemon stared WarGrowlmon down. "Nice outfit, but you're still no match for me ya big lump! Just so ya know metal mouth, when I'm done with chu I'm gonna finish your friends off one by one." "You're wrong," Takato growled, "You're the one who's finished." WarGrowlmon blasted off and went on his rampage. Beezlemon jumped up, summoned his guns and started firing, but it was no good as Takato's Digimon went in for a bite. "Finish him! Do it! Tear him apart!" Takato barked. At that point, I was just about up to here with it. I clenched my fist and started running toward Takato's face. "That's enough!" I shouted, and I prepared the punch. Unfortunately, Takato went to the side, and I ended up kissing the pavement. "Ow..." "Don't do this, Takato," Jeri pleaded. That pleading was ignored. Beezlemon got a punch in and knocked down WarGrowlmon to the side. This made the goggle-head even angrier. "You cannot lose, I won't allow it! I...order you to digivolve!" He thrust his D-Arc forward. "Digivolve, NOW!" Moments later, a red light came through the entire Phoenix Gate and got to WarGrowlmon. The symbol on his chest started flashing. "The mark on his chest is glowing! What's happening to him?" Henry asked urgently. I got up. "That's not important. I've got to knock some sense into Raging Bull here," I said. I approached Takato and slapped his face as hard as I could. He used his foot to trip me. That was the second time my lips touched hard rock. Veemon nearly did a Vee Headbutt, but Henry stopped him. The red light hit WarGrowlmon, surrounded him, and started the process. Takato's rage was not just bubbling over, it was exploding. "Do it, that's it digivolve. That's it, digivolve! _I ORDER YOU TO DIGIVOLVE INTO MEGA!_" The aura became fiery red, and soon it was over. WarGrowlmon had become a drooling monster. He was the most hideous Digimon I've ever looked at. "Congratulations, Takato. You've created a monster," I said.

As soon as Takato saw what he had wrought, his eyes went back to being chocolate-colored and his whole complexion changed into one of remorse. "Guilmon... what have I done to you boy? I'm sorry." Jeri screamed, and Takato's cracked D-Arc dropped to the floor, completely shattered. He stared at his latest creation. "Guilmon..." "I know Guilmon's a virus type but I never imagined he'd turn into this, it's creepy," Rapidmon said. Henry looked this new monster up on his D-Arc. "Megidramon, a virus type Mega. I agree with you guys, I don't think this was supposed to happen." "The exact same thing happened to Tai in Season 1," I said. Takato kept staring at it. "It's my fault. I made him digivolve, I created him with my anger, my hatred." As if things couldn't get worse, the ground started to crack into huge chunks and pieces. We were having an earthquake! "Huh?" Soon, we were all getting separated. Henry, being the responsible brother he was, jumped to save Suzie and Lopmon. Rapidmon ended up saving him. Luckily, Ed and Firamon came by and saved Veemon and me. "Thanks a lot, guys," I said in appreciation. "Don't mention it, Boet," Ed answered.

The fight went on, and it looked like Megidramon was going to win. It would be an uneasy victory. "Please! Guilmon you have to stop this! Listen to me!" Takato shouted. "Don't you think he's done enough damage listening to you?" I asked. "Greg! I think it would be best if you stayed out of this," Anya suggested. Rika decided to step in when another Deva entered the scene. At least I think it was a Deva. She pulled out a card. "Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution Activate!"

**MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Kyubimon Digivolve to... Taomon!"

Taomon attempted to perform a spell, but she got caught in something called a Primal Orb. The same thing happened to Rapidmon. Now it was Henry's turn to be worried. "They're both trapped like flies, totally helpless. What now?" He looked in his deck quickly. "Huh? Rika! Use the Alias Card!" Rika found the card and the two swiped them together. "Digi-Modify! Alias Activate!" Renamon and Terriermon fell out of the bubble but their ultimate data was stolen by Beelzemon. His shoulders grew bigger as Rapidmon's right ear grew from his right side and Taomon's left guard appeared on his left side. "It seems you have delivered their powers on a silver platter," Anya observed. Of course, the power was starting to become too much for him. He knocked out Megidramon and sent him hard to the floor. Takato's creature of hatred went down. "Just like in the first season," I said. "You're not helping," Veemon hissed. Takato started walking toward his fallen friend. "Oh Guilmon. I'm so sorry boy. Jeri's right, this is all my fault." Everyone else just stood there in fear. Beezlemon got up and started approaching us. "Aw, you're so cute, you're so afraid of me you're about to wet your pants. I can't tell you how gratifying that is, it brings a tear to my eye," he taunted. He stopped and approached Takato, Jeri, and the fallen Megidramon. He pointed the guns at them. "Takato! Get out of the way!" I shouted. I thought about running, but Ed stopped me. "Are you crazy man?!" Kazu asked. But by then it was too late. Beezlemon fired. Megidramon opened his eyes, and after a few seconds they went black. "Ta...ka...to..." he groaned.

* * *

That was an intense chapter, I know. Believe me, it wasn't easy writing this. I've got to give credit to Adele Lim and Terri Lei O'Malley, along with the other writers, for their dialogue. I tried to stay as true as I could to the action. I just want to warn you that the action will be getting a little rough for a while. I'll try to lighten it up as much as I can.

Tell you what, why don't we just segue into a Music Break? I'm kind of excited about this one, I think it will really fit Takato's mood.


	13. MusicBreak 3: Show Me the Meaning

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Music Break #3

"Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely"

Written by Max Martin and Herbie Crichlow

Performed by: Digital Boys

Greg [Doug Erholtz]

Veemon [Derek Stephen Prince]

Henry [Dave Wittenberg]

Firamon [Andrew Rannells]

Takato [Brian Beacock]

[Note: If you question the abilities of the voice actors just listed to cover this song effectively, then please either substitute them for the talent of your choice or just add in the original vocals where applicable. Just do whatever turns you on. I know we had this same issue in _Runaway Locomon Express_, but please remember this is fan fiction.]

* * *

_When we last left Takato and Megidramon, Beezlemon had just fired. We now take you inside the brain of Takato Matsuki, grieving over what he has done. His mind isn't completely there, of course. The scene becomes desaturated in which only certain red elements are brightly colored._

_Group:_

_**Show me the meaning of being lonely **_

_For a moment, Takato is thrust into various scenes in both the real world and the Digital World. Footage of this is interspersed with footage of the now headphone-clad group standing in front of Neumann U87 condenser microphones with shock mounts. Greg is underwater near the cave._

_Greg:_

_**So many words for the broken heart  
It's hard to see in a crimson love  
So hard to breathe  
Walk with me, and maybe **_

_Veemon is standing in the middle of the desert by the flag._

_Veemon:_

_**Nights of light so soon become  
Wild and free I could feel the sun  
Your every wish will be done  
They tell me **_

_Back at the studio set up. The scene changes to Greg trying to swim into the cave and Veemon standing there._

_Group:_

_**Show me the meaning of being lonely  
Is this the feeling I need to walk with?  
Tell me why I can't be there where you are  
There's something missing in my heart **_

_Back by the Phoenix Gate, Renamon plays a violin riff. Henry is sitting at Shinjuku Central Park with Terriermon, watching Jeri chase Leomon. His father, Janyu, looks on from a distance, seemingly disapproving._

_Henry:_

_**Life goes on as it never ends  
Eyes of stone observe the trends  
They never say forever gaze, if only **_

_Shift to Firamon who is saving everyone from the earthquake. _

_Firamon:_

_**Beauty roads to an endless love**_

_Greg/Veemon:_

_**Endless love**___

_Firamon:_

_**There's no control  
Are you with me now?**_

_Shift back to the studio set up where Firamon is sitting just below his Neumann U87._

_Firamon:_

_**Your every wish will be done  
They tell me **_

_Various shots of the performers._

_Group**:**_

_**Show me the meaning of being lonely  
Is this the feeling I need to walk with? **_

_Greg's decided to swim up to the surface._

_Greg**:**_

_**Tell me why**_

_Back to the studio._

_Group**:****  
****Tell me why I can't be there where you are****  
****There's something missing in my heart**_

_Shift to Takato, who is at the Phoenix Gate pleading with his partner and friend to hang on._

_Takato:_

_**There's nowhere to run  
I have no place to go  
Surrender my heart, body and soul **_

_Four way shot of the others._

_Greg/Veemon/Firamon/Henry:_

_**How can it be you're asking me to feel...**_

_At the Phoenix Gate, we see an instant replay of Beezlemon aiming and firing his guns._

_Takato:_

_**...the things you never show?**_

_The bullets fly in slow motion. For each beat just before the break, a picture comes in. First is Kazu and Kenta, then Anya, then the Digimon, then Ed, and finally Jeri. As the guitar plays in the instrumental break, we see somewhat happy flashbacks of Takato and Guilmon. _

_Takato:_

_**You are missing in my heart **_

_The camera then pans clockwise from the screen to Takato. We soon discover that he is watching these while being strapped to a chair and the remote seemingly far away on a table. He struggles to get out and truly fidgets when he sees how he forcefully digivolved WarGrowlmon._

_Takato:_

_**Tell me why can't I be there where you are **_

_Back to the studio set up._

_Group:_

_**Show me the meaning of being lonely  
Is this the feeling I need to walk with?**_

_Takato passionately leans in closer to the mic. _

_Takato:_

_**Tell me why**_

_Greg finally makes it up to the surface, which turns out to lead to the others at the Phoenix Gate._

_Group:  
**Tell me why I can't be there where you are **_

_Shot of Henry at the park._

_Firamon/Henry:_

_**Where you are**_

_Takato finally, through sheer will, breaks his hands out of the leather straps._

_Group:  
**There's something missing in my heart **_

_Takato:_

_**'Cause you are missing in my heart**_

_Back to studio set up._

_Group:_

_**Show me the meaning of being lonely **_

_Takato:_

_**Being lonely**_

_Firamon flies to Shinjuku Central Park and picks up Henry after already picking up Veemon._

_Group:  
**Is this the feeling I need to walk with?**_

_Firamon/Veemon:_

_**Tell me why**  
_

_Group:_

_**Tell me why **_

_Takato picks up the remote and throws it at the TV, causing the screen to shatter._

_Firamon/Veemon:_

_**Can't be there **_

_Group:_

_**I can't be there where you are**_

_Firamon/Veemon:  
**Where you are**_

_As the last line is sung, we see all 5 finishing the song._

_Group: _

_**There's something missing in my heart **_

_After the song ends, everyone realizes what just happened as the group is shown shaking hands and then walking away from the camera._


	14. Chapter 11: Mind Games

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 11: Mind Games

Greg

Takato was gone, and so was Megidramon. They hadn't died, they had just... disappeared somewhere. "Huh? Where'd they go?" Beelzemon asked in confusion. He started looking around, but then his power got to him. He readied his fist for a punch and then punched the ground three times. That created more cracks in the ground. One crack was happening right between Anya's feet. "Ahhhhh!" she cried as Ed and I rushed to bring her to one side. We pulled her in.

"Hey Henry!" I called. "Yeah?" he answered. "How do you get one of those Blue Cards?" "There's no easy answer to that. Just believe and you might get one," he said. Just believe, huh? Well it was worth a shot. I closed my eyes, concentrated, and started thinking.

"OK, Greg. Let's think about what's happening right now. Henry and Rika's Digimon barely escaped with their lives. Their Ultimate power was eaten up by that beast Beelzemon. Takato's done too much already and he's nowhere in sight. Of course, I have my eyes closed but still. Jeri and Kenta can't do anything. I'm not sure about Kazu. What about Suzie? Hmmm... she's probably too young and too scared. That leaves Anya, Ed, and me. You're the Boy Scout around here, so it's all on you. Let's see... a Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. How can any of _that_ help me right now? Man, I'd sure like a Crest right about now. Wait, they didn't use Crests in Season 2... they used Digi-Eggs. So far, I've got Love, Sincerity, Friendship, Hope, and Courage. Well, the cards anyway."

I opened my eyes and looked at what was going on. Firamon and Sunflowmon were playing a dangerous game of tag with Beelzemon. I looked to Ed and Anya, gave them a thumbs-up, and closed my eyes again.

I went back to thinking, my voice reverberating in my head. "OK, I gotta think this out. Digivolution doesn't start with the _Digimon_, it starts with the_ Tamer._ If Veemon and I want any chance of beating that freak, we'll both need to draw from some power together. But what can we use? Courage? Would I be willing to put my life on the line right now? No. Friendship... My friends Anya and Ed are buying time for me. I truly appreciate that. Sincerity and Love are out. I'm not feeling either of those for anyone right about now. I should give those cards to Suzie the next chance I get. Heh, she'd probably get a kick out of them. That leaves Hope. What is hope? It's like faith, isn't it? Yeah, they talk about faith, hope, and charity. Ugh, I'll probably get an angel or something. Still, it's better than just standing here allowing myself to die." I opened my eyes, searched my backpack for the Digi-Egg of Hope card, and stared at the symbol. "Hmm... it looks like a shooting star. People wish on shooting stars all the time. They _hope _their wish will come true. It also looks like a sun beam. Yeah, a ray of sun shining down on the darkness. Even when it's surrounded by dark clouds, the sun still rises every day. People just don't see it during a storm, but it's there.**That's it!"**

"Greg! What are you doing staring at your card?" Rika asked. "I think I've got it," I said. "Digivolution doesn't start with the Digimon. It starts with the Tamer. Takato's problem was that he expected WarGrowlmon to do all the work. He gave his Digimon the wrong energy to work with and expected him to use it. He did, and look at what happened." Rika looked around. "I don't see anything," she said. "That's beside the point. Anyway, I've just been staring at this card and I realize now what it means." I pointed to the symbol on the egg. "You see that? It's a sun beam. The sun wants to shine, it wants what's good. It sits there up in the sky, patiently. It doesn't give up, and neither will we." Veemon ran up to me. "Greg! What are ya doin' just starin' at dat card? We've gotta do something," he said. "Right. Veemon! Are you ready to fight with the power of this card?" I asked. He got in position. "Born ready," he said. I smiled and then concentrated.

I took out my D-Arc and got in position for the Digi-Modify. I inserted the card, and as I was scanning it, the card became blue. "Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution Activate!"

**MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION_**

Veemon digivolved as normal. "Veemon Digivolve to... ExVeemon! ExVeemon Digivolve To..." He took it one step further as a red triangle slid into his chest, right at the bottom of the V. That caused tiny square-like fragments of his entire body to quickly rise and fall. His wings and nose horn dropped, and his tail shrunk. In fact, his whole body shrank a bit. He stood with arms wide open and fists clenched, almost as if he was going Super Saiyan. Golden armor snapped onto parts of his body from the feet up until it reached his head. Then, he struck a final pose that can only be described as... cool. "Magnamon!"

"Wait a sec, did you just say _Magnamon?" _I asked in disbelief. I looked him up on my D-Arc. "Magnamon, an Ultimate level Holy Knight Digimon. It possesses tremendous defense, but also has offensive power equal to that of a Mega Digimon, or even greater. Wait a second..." My mind flashed back to Season 2, when the DigiDestined reached Ken's floating base. Davis was able to use the Digi-Egg of Miracles to Golden Armor Digivolve Veemon to Magnamon. I didn't see a crest on this Magnamon though.

This was my chance, but I didn't want to go in too big. After all, I didn't know exactly how strong my partner was. Besides, Takato could come back at any moment and I didn't want to upstage him too much. "Magnamon! Takato might come back at any moment. Let's buy him some time, OK?" I asked. Magnamon gave me a thumbs up and went to work.

* * *

Takato

Guilmon was always Guilmon until I messed him up. No matter how big he got he was always my friend, my partner. But I let him down. I acted like a fool, I really wanted Beelzemon to suffer for what he had done. It wasn't enough to just defeat him, he had to hurt. It's bad enough that I felt that way, but it's worse for Guilmon. I made him a monster. And now, I had to pay for it. I thought about what Mizuno said. The Digi-gnomes used packets of data to create Guilmon when I scanned that Blue Card. Data, DNA, what's the difference? Guilmon was always Guilmon, but I never thought about what would happen if I couldn't control myself. Now I know.

Huh? I'm... back in my room. There's my toy Agumon, and on my desk, there's my drawing. Hmm... it looks like it needs a little more red on his head... that should do it. Perfect! It's all the same, but different. Am I supposed to.. do something? What can I do? Oh Guilmon, I wish we could all just start over. I'd have been a lot more careful if I'd known you were gonna be real. And you were about as real as they come. I don't understand why Rika thought that data couldn't be real, you were real! Wasn't that proof enough? You were my friend.

"We'll always be friends, Takatomon, and that's pretty real."

Huh? GUILMON!

Huh? This is... different, now what do I do? There must be a thousand Guilmons here. Which one do I start with? Wait, what am I saying? I don't wanna start over! There's only one real Guilmon and he's the one I want! Nothing else matters! Not data, not DNA! **Just my friend! **

* * *

Greg

What do you say to encourage your Ultimate-level Digimon that doesn't sound like it came out of Takato's mouth? True, I was encouraging Magnamon. He had my whole support. A Tamer's role is to be a coach.

Magnamon opened up the plates of armor. "Magna Blast!" He unleashed a large number of energy bullets from his body that hit Beelzemon right on contact! "Yes!" I pumped my fist in joy. "Way to go, Magnamon!" Beelzemon got up, and boy was he mad. "Heh? I'm not gonna let some golden boy take me down!" He tried a side kick, but the only thing his foot hit was that golden metal. "YEEOW! Why you-!"

Just then, a red beam came in and guess who returned? Yep, it was Takato and Guilmon in what was sure to be a very tender moment. "Guilmon, you're back," Takato said as he picked up his pet raptor's head. "Is it time for lunch, Takato?" Guilmon asked slowly. Takato just nodded his head and softly chuckled. "Mm hm, you can have anything you want, Guilmon." Beelzemon saw this. "Double Impact!" I covered my eyes. As much as I didn't like Goggle Boy at this particular moment, they deserved much better. They'd gone through so much already. "Takato! Watch out!" Rika warned, and the bullets went straight for them. Rika screamed her head off. "TAKATO!" I couldn't watch... "Right! That's enough!" I uncovered my eyes. Guilmon and Takato were standing and unharmed! Most of us let out a giant "Whew!" Once more, the circle the two were standing on was glowing gold. That meant something was going to go down. "Hey Magnamon! Great job! You can take a break now. I think something's going to go down with Goggle Boy and his Pet Dinosaur," I said. "Right!" he answered as he flew back, getting one last punch to Beelzemon's face in. He turned to Takato and Guilmon and gave them a thumbs up. Beelzemon got his claws ready. "We're not gonna do this again, are we?" he asked. Takato turned to his partner. "I wish I could fight him with you, Guilmon. Beelzemon wouldn't stand a chance against the two of us together." "I'm sure there's a way, Takato. Maybe you just have to wish for it really hard. It worked when you needed a blue card," Guilmon suggested.

The two nodded, then faced Beelzemon. Takato clenched his fists. "All right then, I really want to fight with Guilmon!" As soon as he shouted it, a double helix shot out of the ground around them, followed by a golden light. It was so blinding, I couldn't see what was going on. "Guilmon bio-merge to..." Out of the light came a giant knight with a jousting staff. "Gallantmon!" "Guilmon? Bio-merge?" I asked Veemon, who had just powered down. He shrugged. The others were awestruck. "Whoa, that's amazing he must be Guilmon's true mega form!" Henry said. "Yeah I'll say, but where's Takato?" Rika asked.

The new Digimon spoke. "Beelzemon, you rejected every friendship offered to you, in return you betrayed them and destroyed a valiant soul. I cannot forgive what you have done." It sounded something like Takato but still had Guilmon's high-pitched growling voice. "You can't forgive me? I don't recall ever asking you to forgive me! We'll talk about forgiveness when I wipe you out of existence!" "So be it!" The two went at each other screaming at the top of their lungs.


	15. Chapter 12: Knights are Forever

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

_Previously on Digimon Tamers International..._

The two nodded, then faced Beelzemon. Takato clenched his fists. "All right then, I really want to fight with Guilmon!" As soon as he shouted it, a double helix shot out of the ground around them, followed by a golden light. It was so blinding, I couldn't see what was going on. "Guilmon bio-merge to..." Out of the light came a giant knight with a jousting staff. "Gallantmon!" "Guilmon? Bio-merge?" I asked Veemon, who had just powered down. He shrugged. The others were awestruck. "Whoa, that's amazing he must be Guilmon's true mega form!" Henry said. "Yeah I'll say, but where's Takato?" Rika asked.

The new Digimon spoke. "Beelzemon, you rejected every friendship offered to you, in return you betrayed them and destroyed a valiant soul. I cannot forgive what you have done." It sounded something like Takato but still had Guilmon's high-pitched growling voice. "You can't forgive me? I don't recall ever asking you to forgive me! We'll talk about forgiveness when I wipe you out of existence!" "So be it!" The two went at each other screaming at the top of their lungs.

* * *

Chapter 12: Knights Are Forever

Takato

I can't believe this is actually happening to me! I'm fighting with Guilmon! I feel his strength, his power, his thoughts. Guilmon and I have become stronger together. I guess this must be some hidden potential I never thought I had. But now, it's happening. Guilmon's given me a second chance, and I won't let him down. I've learned my lesson. Now it's time for sweet payback, the right way. Together as one.

* * *

Greg

"Are they dancing or fighting?" Terriermon asked. They ran to each other and matched attacks creating lightning. "Does that answer your question?" Renamon asked. "I'd call it a paso doble," Ed said. "What's a paso doble?" I asked. "It's the dance of the bullfighter. The man is the matador and the female is the bull," Ed explained. Henry looked up the new Digimon on his D-Arc. "'Gallantmon, exalted knight Mega level Digimon. His Lightning Joust and Shield of the Just attacks are unstoppable.'" "At last, a Mega on our side," Renamon noted in awe. "Well, it looks like we'll be calling him Sir Takato now," I said, laughing. That joke didn't go over well. "Idiot! We don't know what happened to Takato," Rika said angrily. "Well sure we did. Takato said, 'All right then, I really want to fight with Guilmon!' Then what probably happened is his deck holder glowed. He found a card, held it up, and shouted something. Then a double helix came up. 'Guilmon bio-merge to... Gallantmon!'" Anya cut in. "We have no time for probabilities and wild conjectures of what may have happened. We have a saying for this in my country. Глаза́ боя́тся, а ру́ки де́лают. 'Eyes are afraid, but hands are doing_._' We must put our trust in Gallantmon," she said. I nodded. The others weren't so sure.

For some reason, Gallantmon spoke like Anya, except without the Russian accent. "There is no excuse for your actions! I will see that justice is served!" he shouted to his enemy. "Wait! Where is he? Where's Takato?" Kenta asked. He looked around and saw Jeri kneeling on the floor. "Maybe Sir Lancelot swallowed him," Kazu joked. "Голь на вы́думку хитра́. 'Poor people are crafty.'" Anya spoke. Kazu and Kenta looked away.

A bright light worked its way up and then split apart. Gallantmon landed near us, Beelzemon on the other side. "You'll excuse me if I'm not impressed your highness, but I got a deal to close," Beezlemon snarked as he pulled out his guns. "Even now, you show no remorse for what you have done. I have no choice, but to destroy you!" Gallantmon answered. He moved his sword making his cape blow.

I didn't get it. Takato created a huge mess by wanting his Digimon to destroy Beezlemon, and now Guilmon's Mega form wants to do the same thing? Really? Beelzemon's motorcycle fell from the sky and landed on him. Gallantmon became wary of it. Then Beelzemon rode the bike over to him and he jumped forward to attack. "Bring it on!" he shouted. He fired at our hero, but the knight used the shield to deflect the hits. They switched sides and Gallantmon started to look tired. He turned around.

"Kazu, snap out of it. I think Takato's gone," Kenta said. "Huh? Are you sure?" They both looked over the nearby waterfall. "You think he got flushed down the falls?" Kazu asked. "I'm not kidding, what if he did? He might be hurt or dead or something," Kenta answered worriedly.

Rika held Renamon's arm on her shoulder. "I'm supposed to be protecting you, but I've failed," Renamon moaned. "Your job is to rest now. You haven't failed anything," Rika said. Her smile quickly faded as she saw what was going on. Beezlemon was riding around Gallantmon like he was on a track. Then he disappeared and body slammed Gallantmon!

Terriermon stood up, determined. "Beelzemon body slammed him! If I could just digivolve I'd whoop that rat!" Suzie backed up and was only a few steps away from falling off. "Suzie! Don't move! Stay right where you are!" Henry instructed. Everyone was hanging by the seat of their pants. I didn't know what exactly was happening. Firamon and Sunflowmon finally got tired and powered down. Anya and Ed caught their Digimon in their arms, with Ed falling to the floor. The land started shattering again. "HENRY!" Suzie and Lopmon drifted further away, and another Digimon appeared on a rock piece. It was the dog that separated us earlier, Caturamon. "What a tragic waste, a Deva who prefers the company of humans to the glory of the Sovereign," he said as his land rose higher than Lopmon's. He pronounced his judgment. "You must be punished for what you've done, traitor!" Suzie broke into action. "Huh? Don't! I won't let the bad doggy hurt you!" She grabbed Lopmon and hugged her, doing her best to protect her newest partner. "Disgusting! I must remove this worthless human," Caturamon pronounced seethingly. "No don't! It's me you want, she's innocent," Lopmon pleaded. "Innocent? A human trespassing into the Land of the Sovereign is unforgivable! I shall destroy you both!" He transformed into a giant hammer and prepared to strike. Terriermon saw this and jumped in, but he got hit right on the head and fell! Renamon had to come in and save him. "Got cha!" But she missed. I looked to Veemon. "Have you got enough strength?" I asked him. He nodded, and I took out a card and borrowed a phrase from another Fox Kids show to psych myself up. "Magna Power!" Just as I was about to swipe the card, a land ridge exploded... and out of the flame came Gallantmon! "You may be able to defeat a rookie,** Deva**. But you **cannot** defeat me. Prepare yourself!" he said. He put on his cape and raised his left hand. It transformed into a jousting lance and charged up. "Lightning Joust!" he shouted. Then he lowered the lance and ran. The attack cut right through and hit the Deva. "LONG LIVE THE SOVERIGN!" he screamed as he disappeared. Beezlemon jumped up and stole the power. "Ha ha ha ha! That filthy dog Caturamon finally got what he deserved! And now all that beautiful power is **MINE**!"

A bawling Suzie ran into Henry's open arms. "Henry! I was so scared! And Tewwiermon got hurt! And..." "Suzie... let go of Lopmon," Henry ordered. Something within me broke. She broke away. "No!" "She's a Deva! It's dangerous just being near her! I'm sorry, but it's for your own good!" "No it's not," I shot back. He looked up. I gave Henry Wong the death stare. "I can't believe what I'm hearing. You're telling your own sister to abandon her Digimon like a bad habit just because it's too dangerous?" "You keep out of this!" "No! Henry, I've seen enough Pokémon to know where this is going. You want to take the easy way out. Just let Lopmon go, you say. She's too dangerous." "Greg, this isn't a Saturday morning cartoon! This is real life! She's my sister, and I don't want her to get hurt!" "So what? She's got a Digivice. She's a Tamer, whether you like it or not. She's one of us. All I know is that if Veemon were in the same situation Lopmon was in, I... would stay with him." Henry grimaced. "You hesitated," he said. "OK, OK, so maybe I did hesitate. I had to think about it. I guess Veemon isn't in the same situation Lopmon is in. But think about it, what if that were _your _Digimon?" Henry stood up. "I would never betray him!" he stated. "Then why should _she_?" I asked. As if right on cue, Suzie started crying and staring at her D-Arc. Henry held his head in disgust. "This is so crazy! I can't believe I'm even having this conversation! She shouldn't even be here!" he ranted. "Oh so you think this is a mistake huh? Well what if she was meant to be the Tamer and you were the mistake?" I continued. Suzie cried even louder. I shut up.

Meanwhile, Beezlemon had made his way to Kazu and Kenta. And of course, Gallantmon protected them. The two came in on a running Guardromon. No, literally, Guardromon was running. "I'm, uh. I just felt it, you know, inside, that big Digimon is, is Takato," he said. "Huh?" Rika, Henry, and Ed asked. "What are you talking about? You mean Gallantmon?" Henry asked. "Mm hm." Kenta nodded. Gallantmon charged at Beelzemon again knocking him away. "Somehow I just know that Gallantmon and Takato have like, joined together. Takato has actually become part of Gallantmon now," Kenta continued. Everyone except Veemon and me let out a giant "Huh?" "Okay, that's weird," Kazu said. "No, I think Kenta's got something. Remember what Guilmon said? 'Guilmon biomerge to...'?" I asked. Gallantmon ran fast, carrying Beelzemon. He climbed off the knight and jumped on his head to make him fall. But our fearless Gallantmon landed and slid on his feet. Then he waited for just the right moment and jumped away. Kazu got worried. "Oh man, if Takato's in there, then he's toast! We gotta do something!" he said. "No we don't! Takato's fine!" I insisted. Veemon nudged me and I looked down. "I think Kazu wants to help," he said. "Oh." Kazu and Kenta climbed up on Guardromon's arms as the robotic Digimon prepared an attack. It was a good thing too, because soon Gallantmon was on the ground. "If you won't say it I will. Goodbye," Beezlemon said sadistically as he held a gun up to Gallantmon's head. "Guardian Barrage!" Guardromon shouted as he fired missiles at our enemy. That bought our knight enough time to head butt him into a piece of rock. We all cheered, and if I had a flag, I would've waved it. Gallantmon turned to us. Then, we heard two voices. "Thank you Kazu!" Takato said. Guilmon's voice spoke up after that. "Thank you everybody! All right, let's go!" The others finally believed. "Kenta was right, they have merged somehow," Rika said in amazement. "Guilmon and Takato have become one indestructible fighting machine," Henry added in awe. I just stood there and smiled. Gallantmon held up his sword. "Lightning Joust!" He released the attack at Beezlemon who went flying through the rock and into another cliff. We all cheered.

Beezlemon used up the last of his strength to fire his gun at Gallantmon, but all the shots did no good. Eventually, he ran out of bullets. Our knight began his judgment. "Beelzemon, your judgment day is at hand. For the horrible things you have done, now you must pay the ultimate price!" He held up his shield. "Shield... of the Just!" The shield's triangles around the middle glowed one by one until the whole thing was lit up and a big, bright red, beam shot out of the center and towards Beelzemon. It hit dead on. Smoke filled the air and it cleared away to leave Beelzemon kneeling on the ground in pain and Gallantmon placing his sword on his shoulder.

* * *

Takato

I had him. **We** had him, just where we wanted him. I once thought Impmon was our friend, but he had chosen his own path. He killed one of our own, and that was unforgivable. That still is unforgivable.

Beezlemon, I can never forgive you for what you've done to Leomon. He was my friend. How can you be so cold? You're not even sorry for what you did!

* * *

Greg

It was perfect. Leomon's death would finally be avenged and justice would be served. Jeri had to go and ruin it. "STOP IT!" she shouted, and Gallantmon deliberately missed! "He's not worth it, Takato," she pleaded. The human-Digimon fusion put his sword away. "He deserves this, you know that," he said. She went right back to pleading. The poor girl had lost it. "Please, don't do it. I couldn't bear it if anyone else got hurt. Please." Beezlemon spoke up. "I don't get it. W-why are you protecting me? I destroyed your partner." Jeri turned to him, with what looked like tears in her eyes. "I hate you...for doing that. But even if you died it wouldn't bring Leomon back. It's my fault he's gone and if you destroyed each other then that would be my fault too. I just can't let anyone else get hurt because of me," she said just before dropping to the floor and breaking down. It was an uneasy moment. I didn't know the girl for long, but I figured she'd gone through so much. I thought she would be happy to see her partner's death be avenged. She was and still is probably a better person than me. I just don't think I would've been able to forgive the Digimon that killed my Digimon that easily. Gallantmon lit up as a light surrounded the area. Moments later, Takato and Guilmon were at Jeri's side. "I'm so sorry," the goggle head apologized. He went to comfort her, but decided against it. Beezlemon turned, walked away, and disappeared.

"Is that it? Are we just going to let this guy go, after what he's done?" I asked. Takato looked to me and just nodded. I could not believe it. The goggle head looked at his own hands. "We did it. It sure feels good to be me again," he said. Guilmon nuzzled up to his Tamer's chest. "And my me is happy to be with your me. But as Gallantmon we were a real fighting team," he said. "Yeah you're right, we really did fight together didn't we?" At that point, a new light came in, creating a new D-Arc for Takato. Both he and his partner Digimon clasped it and got close together. "Well whatever happens now, I absolutely know we'll always be together," the Tamer said. "Mm hm," Guilmon agreed.

"Hail the conquering heroes!" Kazu shouted. "Three cheers for Gallantmon! May he defend us forever!" Anya said. "Hip hip..." "Hooray!" "Hip hip..." "Hooray!" "Hip hip..." "Hooray!" The two turned and smiled. I turned to Henry. "Hey, um... look, I know I shot off my mouth today. I was just shocked to hear what you had said. Tensions were running high, and..." Veemon nudged me again. I looked down, and he gave me a thumbs up. I sighed and turned back to Henry. "Henry, I'm sorry. You're just as much of a Tamer as anyone else and a good one," I said. I offered my hand, and he accepted after a few minutes.

* * *

If you're wondering where the title of this chapter came from, look up the soundtrack from _Twilight Zone: The Movie. _You'll find a nice little song by Jennifer Warnes titled "Nights are Forever", composed by Jerry Goldsmith with lyrics by John Bettis.


	16. Chapter 13: Gundam Wong

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 13: Gundam Wong

Greg

"Time for lunch... or breakfast," I said. That meant everyone got a quarter of a meat apple, grilled by Guilmon's Pyro Sphere. Needless to say, we were running low on apples. Later on, we jumped along the rocks towards the entrance of the bridge. We walked through this shell-like structure. It looked like the Hollywood Bowl to me. "Whoa... " Takato said. "Come on guys! There's no use in psyching ourselves out before we even get there," Henry answered. "I think that thing is taking care of psyching us out there, Henry," Takato responded. Rika, Veemon, Guilmon, and I all nodded. Lopmon pointed out the way. "This bridge will take us right to Zhuqiaomon's castle. Calumon will be in there." "Why do I feel like I'm volunteering to walk into the lion's den? But I guess Henry's right, we don't have a choice," Takato said.

We started walking down the path. "Sometimes it seems like we never have a choice...about anything," Henry complained. "How so?" I asked. "All I ever wanted to do was to become a good Digimon Tamer and have some fun. And now Suzie's life is in danger, and I don't know if we'll ever get home." "We have a saying about that in my country," Anya said, "В дождь избы́ не кро́ют, а в вёдро и сама́ не ка́плет. 'When it rains one doesn't roof the cottage, and the roof is not leaking when it doesn't rain_._'" Takato just nodded. "..By the way, how's Terriermon?" he asked. Terriermon was playing piggyback on his Tamer. He looked up and perked up. "Huh? Oh...I'm just fine! Don't you worry about me, Takato, not one bit! Let's just hurry up, beat Zhuqiaomon, get Calumon out and go home!" "You are feeling better," Takato observed. We continued walking. "You know, I think we're supposed to be learning something from this. What it is is higher grade for me," Ed spoke.

We reached another gate. Kazu was psyched up and ready to go. "We're ready to fight, guys!" he cheered. Well, not everyone was. Jeri let out a quiet moan and sat against the side of the gate, staring at her static D-Arc. Takato went to her side but stayed back a distance. "Uh...Jeri? Are you gonna be okay? Listen to me, I don't want anyone else to be destroyed either, that's why we have to fight Zhuqiaomon," he said. Rika got by her side, doing her best to drop her attitude. "You never really wanted to fight in the first place, did you, Jeri? I don't think fighting's fun anymore either, but you've gotta understand, this isn't the kind of fight we can just run away from." Takato thought a minute. "Why don't you wait here, and when we come back, we can all go home?" he suggested. Jeri kept staring at her D-Arc. "All of us? Except for Leomon you mean... He's never coming back, is he?" she asked sadly. Rika slowly shook her head. Poor Jeri. She had taken losing her partner pretty hard. Apparently, Digi-Eggs didn't come to this world. Of course, I didn't know that for sure. Beelzemon had stolen Leomon's data, and Takato let him walk away clean because Jeri didn't want to see anyone else get hurt.

At least she wouldn't be alone, not if Henry had his way. "No!" he firmly said. "No, no! I'm going too!" Suzie insisted. "Absolutely not. You saw the dangerous stuff we ran into back there, and that castle's gonna be even more dangerous! You're staying right here." "But what about Lopmon?" Suzie asked. I spoke up. "Aww just let the kid go, Henry. She's a Tamer like the rest of us. Who knows? Maybe Lopmon will find her Ultimate form," I said with a smile. "Uh, Greg... you saw what happened," Lopmon reminded me. I thought about it. Suzie got her D-Arc, Antylamon got hit by a red beam of light, and degenerated into Lopmon. I sighed. "Yes, I did," I duly noted. Lopmon had a look of determination on her face. "I'm going...I must try to stop the fighting," she said. Suzie grabbed for Lopmon and hugged her in concern. "No! You'll get hurt!" "I have to go, Suzie. It may be foolish or naive of me, but I have to try to get Zhuqiaomon to listen to me." Suzie turned to her big brother. This was getting intense. "Then make Tewwiermon stay here with me. He's hurt bad anyway." The proverbial lava was rising in Henry's head, so Terriermon tried to cool her off. "Moumentai! I'm not hurt that badly at all, Suzie. We'll be just fine without you! Oops..." That broke a different dike entirely. "You can't! You can't leave me alone! Not again-!" "Argh...stop crying!" Henry ordered. "I'M NOT CRYING!" Suzie screamed through her tears. Henry stood up and tussled with his hair, almost as if he was going to pull some of it out. He looked away. "Argh! Oh, let's just leave her here and go already!" Did that help any? No. Suzie instinctively let Lopmon go and ran to Henry's legs. "NOO! I'm going-!" "Quiet!" He turned around, angry and raised his hand threateningly. Suzie ended up on the floor. He clenched his fist and went into a tirade. "You're staying! I already told you, this place is going to be very dangerous, and you'd just be in the way! I don't know why you came here...a little girl is no use against Digimon! It's gonna have to be up to me alone, you got it?!" Suzie curled up in the fetal position and sobbed. "What _is_ he talking about?" Renamon asked. "Yeah, what are we? Chopped liver?" Rika shot back. Takato did his best to ease the situation. "It's okay Henry, she can come with us." "Yeah. I mean, you could be the next Tai and Kari-" I said. "SHUT UP!" Henry barked.

Kazu came up with an idea. "Hey, Kenta and I will stay and look after her." This piqued Henry's interest. "Sure, I'd like to go with Guardromon and beat up on the Sovereign, but if I have to take one for the team to keep the little lady safe, so be it. And I'm sure Kenta feels the same way." He turned to his friend. "Isn't that right, Kenta?" That put him on the spot, but he quickly recovered. "Uhh...yeah, that's right! It's our duty as gentlemen to stay behind with the little girl! " "Besides, Jeri's staying too," Ed noted. "Thank you, Captain Obvious," Coronamon answered. "Thanks a lot, guys," Henry said. He came back down to Suzie's level. "See, Suzie? You won't be alone, see?" He directed her attention to Kazu, Kenta, and Guardromon, who were waving. No dice, she was still crying. "I'll be okay..." she finally said. Takato then took the mantle of leadership. "Right then. We better get started. We've got a long way to go. " "Do we have to walk the whole way? " Guilmon asked. Lopmon started jumping along the path. "Moumentai!" she said. The rest of us followed. "Hey, that's my word!" Terriermon answered. Veemon and I laughed. We stopped when a giant bubble surrounded us and started speeding us down the path. "I have to admit, this does beat walking! Ha ha!" Guilmon laughed.

We continued on. Henry was still worried sick. "I can't believe Suzie," he grumbled, "Why'd she have to come to the Digital World, anyway?" "She came here for me..." Lopmon said. "Well you should have gone to the Real World! There's no need for her to be here," Henry snapped. "But she is here, Henry, and we have to deal with it," Takato answered. That just made him angrier. "I know that! That's why I've gotta get Calumon back so we can go home." "**You've** got to get Calumon? Hah! So what are we doing here?" I asked. "That's a very good question," Henry answered through clenched teeth. That wasn't enough for me. "Look, you've got the same issue Tai had. You're being overprotective of her. What's that going to lead to? Nothing good, I'll say that. The next time she's in a rut, she'll automatically run to you instead of toughing it out for herself. And when she gets thrown into something really dangerous when you're not around, she'll be a nervous wreck!" I felt a sensation in my hand. "YEEOW!" I turned and looked... Guilmon had bitten down on it. Veemon gave the dinosaur a headbutt, and Guilmon let go. I grabbed my hand, searching for blood. Luckily, he didn't break any skin. I initially gave him a hard look. Lalamon giggled. "I guess it serves you right," she said. I didn't think it was that funny. Although when I thought about it, maybe she was right. How was I helping? "Thanks, Guilmon... I guess," I mumbled. The Digimon just smiled. "No problem," he answered cheerfully.

Rika looked down. "My mom and grandma...must be pitching a fit," she said. Takato smiled. "I bet they're both doing just fine. I mean I did send 'em that e-mail letting them know you're okay." This caught her attention. "What? Sent them an e-mail? When did this happen?" This put the goggle-head on the spot. "Oh...well it happened a while back. When we got separated from you guys, we got e-mail from the real world, and so, I kinda...well I guess you could say...that I-" he started. Rika cut in, and boy was she mad. "-pretended to be me and sent an e-mail to my mom and grandma, that sum it up?" I nodded and ducked. Veemon did the same thing. Takato was on his own. "Whoa! Hold on there, calm down. I only did it because if I said you weren't with us, your mom and grandma would have gotten worried, soo...okay, go ahead and hit me." Rika didn't hit him. Instead, she just blushed. Her look softened a lot. "Thanks for doing that..." she said. Takato stood there with his mouth open, like he'd just seen a fish standing on two fins in the water. Rika's look toughened up when she realized something. "Wait, you didn't put a girly heart or something after it, did you?" "Uh..." "Yeah, three of 'em!" Veemon volunteered. That did it! "Oh man, when I get through with you, the Devas will seem like cuddly little kitty cats! A heart?! Oh...even a _smiley face_ would've been better! " Takato quickly covered his tracks. "Um yeah, that's uh, that's what I put, a smiley face!" "You used a **smiley face**, are you kidding me?! You had to go and use a freaking' smiley face! I **never **use a smiley face."

Just then, we arrived at the entrance. The bubble popped. Everyone looked up. The roof looked like a giant seashell. "Wow, this thing looks like it goes on forever," Takato said. "You have better eyes than me, I can't see forever-" Guilmon agreed. Then, the doors slowly rattled and opened. "Oh!" All of a sudden, our Digimon growled and became deadly serious. Guilmon hunched over, ready to attack. Renamon puffed up her fur, and Veemon showed his teeth. It was like they'd gone feral. "What is it, boy? What's wrong?" Takato asked. "Terriermon?" Henry asked his partner. "Veemon, are you OK?" I asked. "Coronamon, you look _bosbefok*_," Ed observed. "Renamon? What is it?" Rika asked, concerned. Renamon stayed vigilant and spoke urgently. "Something's here. I can feel it. It's like a terrible, overpowering anger that will crush us if we let our guard down!" "What else is new?" I asked. We walked down the hall. "You'd think we've learned to move away from danger instead of toward it," Takato griped. "Some of us are just thick-headed, I guess," Rika said. "She means you, Takato..." Guilmon added. "Dat's funny, I was about to say da same thing to Greg," Veemon said. "Oh, that's really helpful given the circumstances, Veemon," I snarked. We stood before another door. "He sure likes big doors, doesn't he? " Rika remarked. Lopmon began the invocation. "My Sovereign! Please hear my humble request," she said. The ground shook again and the doors opened. "Well it's good he's got an open-door policy," Takato said, trying to be cheerful. "Is that good for us, or good for him?" Rika asked. "I don't know. Heh heh..." he shrugged nervously. Rika looked to me. I just put my hands up. The door opened all the way, and we stood before an open flame. A voice came from nowhere. "Trespassers. You have disturbed the lair of Zhuqiaomon, Sovereign of the Digital World and protector of its inhabitants. Look upon my countenance and tremble with fear, for in my eyes, you see your own undoing." The flame eventually became the Deva himself. Guilmon growled again. Takato and Rika trembled. Heck, just looking at that thing, I didn't want to press my luck. Why is it that the evilest Digimon are always the ugliest? It looked like a big, red, ugly bird. Henry growled and clenched his fists. "You've got a friend of ours! Give Calumon back!" he demanded. The bird spoke again. "Such a large demand from such a small creature. Why should I give him up, so you can take him back to the other world? Never! The Catalyst belongs here!" The Catalyst? Henry stood his ground. "You're not gonna scare me off!" the bravado-loaded Chinese boy called. We all put our hands all over the top part of Henry's body. Takato and Rika each got a shoulder, the rest of us got what we could above the waistline. "Huh?" he asked. "What do you mean scare YOU off? What about us? " Rika demanded. "Rika... Renamon..." he said in amazement. "Hey, you didn't forget us, did ya?" Takato asked. "Takato... Guilmon..." "We'll stand by your side, Boet," Ed chimed in. "Ed... Coronamon..." Henry was starting to feel overwhelmed. "Lead us into battle, my comrade," Anya affirmed. "Anya... Lalamon..." I just stood there and let out a confident smile. "You don't think we're going to let you have all the fun, now do you Henry?" I asked. "Greg... Veemon..." he sighed. "Alright, I just hope you know what you're getting yourselves into." He looked down to Terriermon. "Are you ready to fight? " "Anytime, anywhere," Terriermon said.

We asked our Digimon if they were ready, and they were. Henry looked up. "Then let's teach this guy a lesson he won't forget!" he said. "It's Morphin Time!" I shouted, instinctively putting my hand behind my back. I was actually searching my backpack for a card. When my hand came to my front again, I had pulled out the Digivolution card. I took out my D-Arc and we started the slash. You know, it's kinda funny. Whenever you're in a group and all of you are determined to do the exact same thing, you tend to do it at the exact same time. In our case, it was almost like you could put up a four-way split screen. "DIGI-MODIFY! MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

**MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Terriermon Matrix Digivolve To..."

"Renamon Matrix Digivolve To..."

"Guilmon Matrix Digivolve To..."

"Veemon Matrix Digivolve To..."

Ed and Anya took out their cards and went as far as they could. Surprisingly, their battle cries were in pitch-perfect harmony. "DIGI-MODIFY! DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

**DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Coronamon Digivolve To..."

"Lalamon Digivolve To..."

The chamber was lit up like the 4th of July. Digivolutions were happening left and right.

"Rapidmon!"

"Taomon!"

"WarGrowlmon!"

"Magnamon!"

"Firamon!"

"Sunflowmon!"

The bird did not look impressed. "Am I supposed to be afraid?" he taunted. "No, you're supposed to take your beating like a good little villain!" Rapidmon snarked. From where I was standing, a part of his back was fading out. "Huh?" Henry gasped. The 6 Digimon jumped up and started the attack. "Blazing Helix!" the firebird shouted. He unleashed a swirl of flames. It was huge! "AHHHHHHH!" our Digimon all shouted as they fell to the floor. "No! Rapidmon!" Henry shouted. Sunflowmon was on fire. "Anya..." she moaned. Anya panicked as she searched for a card. Rika found one first and scanned it. "Digi-Modify! Agumon's Frozen Wind Activate!" Taomon blew a cold wind on the flames. That extinguished it. Sunflowmon shivered in appreciation. "He took them down in one shot," Rika breathed. Ed tried to bring up morale by singing "We Will Rock You". We joined in on the chorus because there was not much else we could do. I stood my ground, all while stomping my feet and clapping to the beat. If Henry could do it, so could I. Even if he couldn't, someone had to.

That big turkey wasn't impressed at all. "You Digimon depend on these human maggots for strength! But we don't need filthy weaklings in the coming battle! Blazing Helix!" The flames came again. There were more moans and groans from the Digimon. "If he keeps this up, we'll all be roasted!" Takato panicked. "Taomon, we've got to figure out some way to digivolve to Mega  
Level!" Rika shouted. Taomon had her hands full already. "I'm sorry Rika, I've got my hands full just trying to maintain this shield!" she called back. Takato stared at his D-Arc. "If only Guilmon and I could figure out how to be Gallantmon again...but how?"

* * *

Kazu

If there's one thing I don't like, it's seeing two sad chicks. Here I was, ready and raring to go, and I had to volunteer to watch them. Last time I shoot my mouth off, I'll tell ya that. Jeri was down in the dumps probably thinking about how she couldn't save Leomon, and Henry's kid sister was moping around. I turned to my new buddy, Guardromon. "Mm...I haven't even started dating! I've gotta deal with two sad girls!" I told him. "Once you start dating, I'm sure you'll make many girls sad!" he answered. "WHAT!?" "Won't you?" he asked. Some buddy. I sighed and shook my head. "Just watch Suzie, will ya?" He walked away. "Humans are so confusing," he said.

* * *

Henry

Look at the team I'm surrounded with. I've got Takato and Rika, they're OK, but the others? I'm just not so sure. I've got a South African who thinks he's Freddie Mercury, a Russian who spouts off sayings from her country, and an American whodoesn't know when to shut up. It's completely up to me to save Suzie and get us home.

* * *

Greg

"Capitulate, fools!" Zhuqiaomon said. "Hah! We don't know the meaning of the word!" WarGrowlmon shot back. Magnamon prepared for an attack. "Magna Blaster!" He unleashed his full power in the form of an energy wave from his entire body. No dice. "That's OK, Magnamon! Keep it up!" I consoled. Rapidmon went in for a strike, but the guns disappeared from his back. The firebird released another blast, and down he went. "NO! RAPIDMON!" Henry shouted. The bird spoke again. "Lopmon! You are my last remaining Deva. Come back to me, and I will forgive your betrayal. Together, we will destroy these traitors and their disgusting humans!" Lopmon stood her ground. "Say what you will, but I will not be swayed!"

* * *

Kazu

"I beat you again," Kenta said cheerfully. Ugh... for the 5th time in a row. Ya know, I was just thinking about what the others were doing. Maybe Guardromon and I could go to the Mega Level just like Takato and Guilmon did. Man, I've been playing this game longer than he has, and he gets to do all the cool stuff. Just then, I saw a pink light out in the distance. "It couldn't be," I thought. I rushed over to Guardromon. "Hey! What's all the jabberin' about over here? Uh...uhh...um, where'd Suzie go?" I asked. Guardromon pointed out to the sky. "She flew away." WHAT!? "SHE FLEW AWAY?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! BUT HOW?! YOU WERE S'POSED TO BE WATCHING HER! " I shouted. "I was, I watched the whole thing..." he answered. "Oh great, now Henry's going to kill me," I moaned.

* * *

Greg

WarGrowlmon was attacked by Zhuqiaomon again while protecting us. "Thank you, WarGrowlmon," Lopmon said. "Yeah, thanks a lot," I added. Rapidmon didn't look so good. Neither did Magnamon. "Stay in there, Magnamon!" I called. "I'm... trying," my partner said through a strain. "Well don't just try it. Do it! Do or do not. There is no try," I encouraged. Rika looked at me strangely. "Yoda," I explained. Magnamon got back on his feet and gave everything he had. One Blazing Helix later, he was back down. "Are you sure nobody's got a healing card?" I asked.

Rapidmon was stuck to the wall and his armor was fading in and out. "I mean it's not like we like being bruised, it's just, well, you know what I mean. We'll never give up! Even if—oh!" We looked on and Taomon spoke. "Rapidmon, back off! You're hurt too badly. If you sustain any more damage, your data will be destroyed!" Did that mean anything to Rapidmon? No. "Back off? There's no way I'm gonna let this overgrown canary stop me!"

* * *

Henry

What was I thinking? Terriermon, I knew you were hurt, but all I could think about was Suzie. How could I send you into battle like that? And now... I might lose you forever.

* * *

Greg

It was a pitiful sight. Henry started breaking down in tears. "I guess I'm just about the worst Digimon Tamer there ever was... " he wept. "No, it's not your fault!" Rapidmon called back. That didn't convince him. He tried hiding his tears. "I shouldn't have pushed you to fight, I should have found another way!" "Listen to me! It's the bird's fault and I won't let him win!" With that, Rapidmon broke out of the wall with his sheer will and went flying towards that fiery pigeon. That overgrown vulture fired another burst of flame. "AHHHHHHHH!" Rapidmon powered down to Terriermon and started falling. Ed ran trying to catch him. "I got him! I got him!" Ed shouted. He didn't catch him. In fact, he missed it by that much. Henry ran to him, tears pouring out of his eyes like a slow-dripping faucet. "Sorry Henry...I tried," Terriermon groaned, "The birdbrain was too much for me." The human held his Digimon in his arms. "Don't be sorry, Terriermon. I was the one who failed you," he said. "Heh...what are ya, Henry? The center of the universe?" Terriermon asked. "What, you think the sun won't rise if you're not there to greet it or something? Just look behind you, Henry..." He did as the Digimon continued. "You don't have to do everything yourself. They're here to help you. Let 'em."

Just then, Suzie flew in holding her D-Arc. She landed on her feet. "Wha – Suzie?!" Henry gasped. "HI, HENWY!" she yelled as she waved. "What are you doing here, Suzie?" Lopmon asked. The little girl turned to her Digimon. "Well you called me, didn't you, silly?" Lopmon folded her paws and thought about it. "I called you? Hm...you may be right." "Guess your demanding big brother voice doesn't work so well, huh?" Terriermon asked. He got up and continued as Henry wiped away his tears. "Well there's no way I'm gonna stop fighting if Suzie's gonna be in danger!" "Terriermon, you can't," Henry pleaded. "Remember what you told me if I ever got lost? Meet back at your house." Takato, Rika, and their Digimon nodded. I scratched my head. "Huh? I always thought you looked for a police officer or a responsible adult," I said. "Not in my country," Anya remarked. "That's right...we'll all meet back there," Henry remembered, smiling. "We just gotta get past that turkey!" Takato replied. "You gonna tell your friends you got beaten by a turkey, Henry?" Terriermon asked. I ran over to his side. Something was about to go down, and I wanted to see it. "Not a chance! Come on, let's do this together!" Henry decided with a look of determination on his face. He got up on his feet, and his D-Arc spoke. "Biomerge Digivolution."

* * *

[BGM: "Power Rangers Zeo Instrumental Theme" by Jeremy Sweet and Ron Wasserman]

[Alt. BGM: "One Vision" by Takayoshi Tanimoto]

**BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION_**

"_Biomerge Activate!" Henry shouted as he held his D-Arc up. He quickly moved his arms in a pattern so his left fist was under his right elbow, and his right hand was holding his D-Arc to his head. Then, his clothes and shoes were placed in digital storage and disappeared from his body. His eyes were forced closed and his body became relaxed. Go figure. "Terriermon Biomerge to..." Henry's naked body fell backwards into his Digimon as the two became one. Terriermon's short stubby hands were replaced with long, thin, mechanical ones as green armor was clamped on. At the front of his wrist was a gun that was loaded with bullets. It was the same way with his feet. His chest became larger and covered with green armor and a pair of missile cannons on his shoulders. Terriermon's head was replaced by Gargomon and Rapidmon's heads before switching to a green armored dog head with wings sticking out. Henry's face and upper chest looked on. _

_For the finale, this new giant robotic hybrid jumped up and did a kick with his left foot before he landed on both feet. The camera went up and we see this humongous Digimon stand at attention. "MegaGargomon!"_

* * *

The chamber filled up with green light. The light quickly died down as we saw what had happened. It's hard to believe that a teenage boy and a little dog-like Digimon could become that. We looked in awe. "Another Biomerge!" Taomon marveled. Rika looked it up on her D-Arc. "MegaGargomon! Special attack, Gargo Missiles," she said. "Jeez! He should be called Humongo-Enormous-Seven-Stories-Tall-Missile from the look of him," Takato commented. "It's a green version of the Red Battlezord," I breathed out. All three looked at me. "You know, the robot the Red Zeo Ranger got midseason," I explained. "Zeo?" Takato asked. He thought about it. "Ohhhhhh... over here, we call that Red Puncher," he said.

* * *

Henry

Wha- what just happened? Where am I? One minute I'm holding the D-Arc to my head, the next I'm in this... green sphere of energy. "Did I really become a Digimon?" "Well call me crazy, but I think we became one together!" Terriermon said. "This is incredible! I can feel your power flowing through me! Giving me strength!" "Me too! I'm not in pain anymore." I clenched my fist. "Then let's go get him!" I cheered. "That felt good! Say it again!" Terriermon responded. "LET'S GO GET HIM!"

* * *

Greg

I called up to the giant robot. "HEY HENRY! MegaGargomon is an extension of yourself! Don't fight it, be one with it!" "Uh... thanks, Greg," MegaGargomon answered. The giant turkey wasn't happy. "Digimon and humans Digivolve together? This is an abomination! You have tainted the very core of the Digital World, and you will pay... DESOLATION BLAST!" He lifted his wings and caused the building to cave in. Taomon quickly generated a shield around the rest of us. MegaGargomon fired up the jetpack on his back and went into action. "Is that all you got? And you call us pathetic!" he taunted. His voice was a mix of Terriermon's and Henry's voices. "You dare taunt me?!" Zhuqiaomon demanded to know. The robot flew up to the chicken. "You bet! And I'll do it again too!" He fired a pulverizing shockwave from his fist. "Power Pummel!" That hit the chicken right to the core!

I quickly searched my D-Arc for another channel. Maybe it had a closed-circuit channel inside Biomerged Digimon. I had no luck. My eyes went back to the battle, where the Green Battlezord was laying down the hurt! He let loose three kicks to Zhuqiaomon's head, then opened up the armor pockets all over his body. "That's still not enough for ya?! Mega Barrage!" he shouted as missiles fired from everywhere. They all hit right on contact! "AHHH! Phoenix Fire!" The fiery bird released a fireball at our hero. "You think that scares us now?! Why don't you try this one on for size?! GARGO MISSILES!" MegaGargomon fired the two missiles on its shoulders. They broke through the fire attack and hit the turkey in the breast! "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! You think you can defeat me that easily?!" The ground broke up under him, causing him to fall. "AHHHHHH!" MegaGargomon flew over the scene. "Looks like that'd be a big 'yes!'" The other Digimon powered down as we all cheered.

He landed on the ground and reverted back to Henry and Terriermon. "I can't believe it! We did it, Henry!" Terriermon said. Henry smiled and nodded. "Yes, _we_ did. Now let's get Calumon and go home." Takato approached the human. "Thanks Henry, we'd have been lost without you two." "Not at all. We are a team, aren't we?" Henry asked. We all nodded. Just then, a column of fire came up from the gaping hole. We heard an evil laugh, and then a fireball shot up and reformed itself. "Surprised? You dare believe you could defeat me? I am a Sovereign! There will be nothing left of you but ashes when I'm done! PREPARE TO MEET YOUR DOOM!"

* * *

* _bossies_, or _bosbefok _– crazy, whacko, mad. Also a term to describe one who has shell shock. Refers to the time of the South African Border War where soldiers spent time in the bush ("bos/bosse") and would return home suffering battle flash-backs (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

By the way, I don't know Russian. Most of Anya's sayings come from Wikiquote. The South African slang also came from Wikipedia.


	17. Chapter 14: Return of the Turkey

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

_Previously on Digimon Tamers International..._

Megagargomon landed on the ground and reverted back to Henry and Terriermon. "I can't believe it! We did it, Henry!" Terriermon said. Henry smiled and nodded. "Yes, _we_ did. Now let's get Calumon and go home." Takato approached the human. "Thanks Henry, we'd have been lost without you two." "Not at all. We are a team, aren't we?" Henry asked. We all nodded. Just then, a column of fire came up from the gaping hole. We heard an evil laugh, and then a fireball shot up and reformed itself. "Surprised? You dare believe you could defeat me? I am a Sovereign! There will be nothing left of you but ashes when I'm done! PREPARE TO MEET YOUR DOOM!

* * *

Chapter 14: Return of the Turkey

Greg

The flaming turkey spoke again. "You thought you could stand up against me, fools? Your defiance has done nothing but seal your doom." "Oh, this is not gonna be good," Terriermon remarked. "Sonic Zephyr!" Zhuqiaomon shouted as he flapped his wings. It created a sonic boom that shattered the earth under our feet. We were sent flying! "We've gotta fight back!" Rika shouted as she drew a card. She focused and pulled out her D-Arc. "Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution Activate!"

**MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Renamon Matrix Digivolve to... Taomon!"

Taomon quickly created a giant barrier for us and we fell on it. It felt like a rubber trampoline with all the springs taken out. We got up. "Uh, thanks Taomon," Takato said. "It's not over yet," Taomon answered. "Hey I better thank you while I can," he shot back. Now that turkey came up with a good idea. I must give him credit for it. He tried running into us. Unfortunately for him, Taomon had a better idea. She jumped to the top of the shield, made a handsign, and pushed it up. "You did it!" Rika cheered. Guilmon looked out the shield. "That's what I call a close call. How long can you keep this up, Taomon?" he asked. Taomon groaned and fell to her knees. The dinosaur answered his own question. "I guess not long." "Oh no, he's coming back!" Suzie screeched. Again, Taomon pushed us out of the way, but that didn't stop that vulture from crashing into us. It was like he sent us into a spin cycle! "This is worse than a carnival ride," Takato observed.

"We'll never beat him if we just keep running away," Henry said. "We're not running away, Henry. We're spinning!" I answered. "You know what I mean!" "What do we do?" Takato asked in desperation. Taomon breathed hard. Keeping the shield up was becoming too much for her. Guilmon and Terriermon looked to each other, nodded, and jumped out of the shield! "No! Come back!" Henry pleaded. But they couldn't. They kept falling and using their attacks, but it was no use. The grouse spoke again. "You are nothing more than irritating insects, your powers are just as insignificant. Surrender or be destroyed." Then he knocked them into the ocean! "Guilmon!" "Terriermon!"

They finally hit the ocean and Zhuqiaomon flew up next to the shield. "Do you see how foolish it is to defy me?" "Defy you? You didn't tell us to do anything!" Ed tried to reason. "Please don't, it just can't end this way," Takato pleaded. "And yet it will. No one will stop our Digivolution. Blazing Helix!" Four fireballs from Zhuqiaomon's four wings formed and shot down in a double helix at the two Digimon swimming for shore. The two Tamers looked on in horror. We all did. After what had just happened to Leomon, I was sure they'd be next.

Just then, lightning wrapped around the helix and damned it. A lightning storm was headed in our direction, and it looked intense. "Who dares defy me in my own domain? Show yourself!" the turkey ordered. The Digimon in the lightning revealed itself. "Cease your attack Zhuqiaomon!" It roared and we looked at our savior. It was a long, white dragon with chains wrapped around it and a long beard on its face. Takato looked it up on his D-Arc. "Azulongmon. He's one of the four Sovereign. I don't get it, why's he fighting Zhuqiaomon?" he asked. Henry couldn't think of a better answer than "Good question." Lopmon stared at the scene. "I hope the two of them haven't decided to join forces. They could finish us off, in one shot if they wanted." Rika stepped back. "Oh that's just great, we can't even beat one Sovereign. Why don't we just fight all the Digimon at once?" she asked. "If we're going to fight all the Digimon at once, then I think we should-" I started, but Lalamon silenced me. Anya just stood there, silent.

* * *

Anya

I admit, my mind was not on the situation at hand. In some ways it was, but it was mostly not. This situation was growing quite desperate. My father is a mediator and diplomat, specializing in global conflict. We had just gotten out of a war with the Republic of Ichkeria, foreign mujahideen and al-Qaeda. Now we were in insurgency. In 1999, my father had to leave for Chechnya, in the hopes of ending the conflict quickly. Misfortune followed him as he was held hostage by Caucasian militants. He was only supposed to be away for two weeks, a month at the most. We did not hear from him until New Year's Eve. Mother, Sonya, Lara, and I were to stay strong in the hopes he would return. It was all we could do. He was in our prayers. We did not know if he would make it back alive. It just took too long. Thankfully, he returned in March of the next year. He had not been hurt.

The winter was much colder that year. I yearned to share my experiences with the others, perhaps to offer them some comfort. But then, I reconsidered. My inner voice began speaking to myself. "No, Anya. Your words will do you no good. No one cares about your father the mediator. Yes, just stand there stoically. Mother Russia makes you strong. Prove to them you can handle anything." I looked away from what was happening.

Lalamon followed me. "Anya, what's wrong?" she asked. Should I tell her? I thought out the whole conversation in my mind. I would explain it to her. She would ask me what that had to do with the situation. It was so important for me to share at that moment. Oh, how I longed to tell them. "Nothing," I lied as I turned again. Sometimes, it is far better not to say anything and be thought of as an idiot than to speak and remove all doubt. Again, my partner followed me. "Come on, I know you're hiding something," she continued. "I am not," I insisted. "I know you too well. Follow me," she said. Lalamon floated along to a far-off section of the shield. "Now tell me what's wrong," she insisted. I sighed. "Do you remember when I told you about my father in Chechnya?" She nodded. "Well, I am thinking that if I tell them about what happened, and how he had finally come back, that may perhaps bring them some encouragement. However, I can hear it now. 'That is very nice memoir, Anya, but how does that help us now?'" I shook my head. "No, I must not share my story. It will not do any good." "Oh I think it'll do them good. Just look at what's happening," she said. I looked around. Greg and Veemon were pacing back and forth. The others were looking on. "Yes? What about it?" I asked. "They're all worried. Maybe your story will cheer them up, just like you said. Besides, I know how important it is to you. That's all that matters, isn't it?" What she said was true. It did matter to me. Deep down, my experiences are important. I deserve to be heard.

* * *

Greg

"They've been like that for... I don't know how long. What do you think they're talking about, Veemon?" I asked. "Maybe they're going to jump out of the barrier like Guilmon and Terriermon did," he answered. Finally, Anya came out of her corner. "Um... I would like to share a story." We all turned toward her. She tensed up. "Go on," Lalamon encouraged. "My father is a mediator and a diplomat," Anya started. "Two years ago, he was called to Chechnya to stop a conflict between the Republic of Ichkeria, foreign mujahideen, and Russia." She started tearing up. "He was... held hostage by... Caucasian militants. We only received one phone call from him, on New Year's Eve." "That's a very nice memoir, Anya. How exactly does that help us?" Henry asked. Anya quickly turned away, dejected. Ed punched him in the shoulder. Then, the Russian girl turned back, giving Henry the death stare. "I knew someone would say that, Comrade Henry. After months of praying, patience, and struggle, the Russian army finally rescued him. My father came home in March of 2000. That is why I have stayed so silent. I was replaying the situation in my mind. Fellow comrades, we cannot give up. Just as my sisters, mother, and I have prayed for peace; we must do the same. We must hold onto whatever we have. I truly believe we can conquer this problem." She looked down. "I hope this has helped in some way," she said as she walked back into a corner.

Veemon and I thought about it. That took a lot of guts for her to admit. She was only trying to help. "I think we should do something for her," I told Veemon. I checked my backpack for that card, the Digi-Egg of Sincerity. I approached Anya. "Hey, Anya," I said. She didn't turn. I continued. "Look, what you said... that took a lot of guts. I'm reminded of what Yolei did to that egg-like Digimon that sounded like Igor. She revealed a fact about herself that she was afraid to admit to anyone. Yet, it was her sincerity that got her the Digi-Egg." "Your point is?" Anya asked, turning around. "Well, I'd like you to have this." I gave her the card. "I was planning on giving it to Suzie, but I think you deserve it more." She looked at the card. "The Digi-Egg of Sincerity," she read off the card. She looked back up at me. "Thank you, Gregorivich." Then she gave me a hug. "Hmm?" I smiled.

Unfortunately, the moment didn't last long as Suzie got a bit too close to the barrier. She broke through and started in on a free fall. "AHHHHHH!" she screamed. "SUZIE!" Henry called. Anya and Lalamon brushed me aside and rushed to the scene. It looked like she was headed for the water. "Can she swim?" she quickly asked. "Let me put it this way, she's still getting used to the wading pool," Henry answered. "We've got to do something," Takato urged. Anya looked to Lalamon. The two nodded as the girl focused on her card and pulled out her D-Arc. Lalamon spun her beanie-like propeller and flew out of the barrier. Anya held her card up to the sky and it turned blue. She then brought it down and stared at it. Seemingly, as if right on cue, Suzie screamed again. Anya nodded again and scanned it. "Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution Activate!"

**MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Lalamon Matrix Digivolve to..." She digivolved to Sunflowmon as usual, but then that red triangle went inside the red triangle in her head. That caused squares in her body to go up and down. Then, she shed the petals on her head. The petals turned pink and spun around her quickly, going faster and faster until a new Digimon was formed. She looked like a female personification of a lily, almost like Lillymon. She was beautiful, for a plant anyway. To be honest, she looked kinda hot. "Lilamon!"

Lilamon swooped down and caught Suzie in her arms. That flaming turkey saw it and was furious! He shot fireballs at her. "I cannot let you harm this innocent girl," Lilamon said with determination. She brought the little girl back into the barrier and then went to work. "How nice. A lilac of the valley, just waiting to be burned!" Zhuqiaomon taunted. The plant girl smiled. "Well, I wouldn't know about being burned," she said. She started dancing gracefully, releasing pollen. I looked her up on my D-Arc. "'Lilamon, an Ultimate level Fairy type. Its leaves are toxic, and are enough to kill the opponent.'" We all stared at what was happening. The pollen was spreading around as that bird inhaled it. "Heh heh heh. This is a Sovereign. And this is a Sovereign on drugs!" I joked. Veemon and I laughed. Lilamon, sensing her work was done, came back inside the barrier and powered down. At least he was sedated.

That white dragon started talking to him again about who knows what. I didn't pay much attention to the conversation. As long as they weren't attacking us, it was fine with me. Takato, Henry, and Rika looked on. Taomon was sitting Indian-style on the floor meditating. Suzie walked toward our direction. "I'm bored," she declared. "So am I. I wonder how we can kill some time," I thought out loud. Just then, a voice boomed from nowhere. "Why don't you play 'Patty Cake'?"* it suggested. In five minutes, Suzie, Lalamon, Veemon, Coronamon, and I became experts in the subject of "Patty Cake". I didn't play too many rounds with Coronamon, though. His paws were too hot to handle.

"Enough! You're so sure that you're right, prove it by stopping me... if you can. " The turkey fired a double helix of flame at Guilmon, who had just made it to shore. Takato was looking on. "He's wrong. Humans and Digimon are meant to fight together!" he shouted. He backed up, made a running start, and jumped out of the shield. "What are you doing!?" Rika yelled. While he was in free fall, Takato grabbed his D-Arc and thrust it forward. It glowed right along with him. "GUILMON!" Now it was a race between the helix and the Tamer. It was neck and neck, but our goggle-head reached the ground with a barrier around him and the fire hit as he made contact.

* * *

[BGM: "One Vision" by Takayoshi Tanimoto]

**BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION_**

"_Biomerge Activate!" Takato shouted. His left fist was clenched. He held the D-Arc to his heart, causing fractal code to cover his now naked body._ _Again his clothes, shoes, and goggles were put into digital storage._

"_Guilmon Biomerge to..." Takato's naked body fell into Guilmon's, with dots connecting at parallel locations. Guilmon's claws disintegrated as they became gloved hands. His back foot became a boot. The hazard symbol-laden chest exploded to become armor. Guilmon's, Growlmon's, and WarGrowlmon's faces switched until they became the face of a knight with a dragon hat. Takato's head looked on._

_For the finale, the Digimon cupped his glowing left hand, then clenched his fist. The fist transformed into a lance. This new Digimon, now equipped with lance and shield, soared through the sky. "Gallantmon!"_

* * *

Gallantmon blocked the fire with his shield. Then, he threw the shield, throwing the fire away. "This Digivolution is powerful, but not powerful enough! You too shall be defeated!" the turkey pronounced after he deflected a Lightning Joust. "Not until you see that humans and Digimon are more powerful when they work together!" Gallantmon shouted in Takato's voice. He flew up and fought with Zhuqiaomon's talon to start with. "Oh my. He's playing footsie with that overgrown vulture," I told the others. Zhuqiaomon shot a blast of fire from his mouth, and Gallantmon was pushed back by it. At least he didn't get burned. "We want to protect this world as much as you do," Gallantmon claimed in Guilmon's voice. "Spare me your lies, I know you only want to help the humans take over the Digital World. Well you shall not succeed as long as I live," Zhuqiaomon retorted as he flew back. He created winds that sent Gallantmon back, but our knight withstood it. Gallantmon flew with his sword ready to Zhuqiaomon as the Sovereign flew to Gallantmon. "I cannot allow you to take over my world!" But then a chain separated the two. "That's enough!" the dragon Sovereign proclaimed. "Huh?" Gallantmon and Zhuqiaomon asked. "This fighting is pointless, the true enemy is what we should be focusing our energies on, not each other. Zhuqiaomon, give the humans a chance, they really do wish to help," Azulongmon said.

Taomon had to bring the shield down. Thankfully, she brought it to where Takato and the others were. When it hit terra firma, the shield popped and Taomon powered back down to Renamon. Meanwhile, something was headed for us. "Guardromon, you sure weren't built for comfort," I heard from a distance. It was Kazu, Kenta, and Jeri! Veemon and Lalamon acted as air traffic controllers as Guardromon landed in front of Takato and Guilmon. "Are you a sight for sore eyes," Kazu said. "Yeah you too," Takato replied. He looked to Jeri. "How you doing, Jeri? Are you okay?" "Maybe we shouldn't have come here. All we've seen is pain," she groaned. I got closer to the robot. Jeri was still staring at her D-Arc. "I know it hurts Jeri, but we have to bear the pain and press on," Henry said, trying his best to dismiss the problem temporarily. He looked to the two Sovereign Digimon. "Now who is this true enemy?" Azulongmon spoke first. "We don't know. We don't even know its name, none of us has ever had contact with it." "Whatever it calls itself, we know what it wants... to destroy us and the Digital World," Zhuqiaomon scoffed. I looked to Veemon. "Hoo boy, here we go again," I told him. Veemon nodded. "Where did it come from?" Rika asked. "No one is sure, but it's been here since the formation of this world. Long ago it disappeared and hid itself deep beneath the layers of the Digital World," Azulongmon explained. His eyes glowed and the ocean left. From the middle, a hole appeared in the dry land. "Cool! Visual aids," Kazu remarked.

The white dragon continued. "Imagine this hole is the Real World, surrounded by the layers that make up the Digital World." As he spoke, more rings formed around the original hole. "Its physical sub-structure is six layers deep. That's where you first arrived. In the beginning this is all there was to the Digital World. It was empty, stark, inhospitable." "Just like a party at Kenta's house," Kazu commented. "Hey!" Kenta shot back. "Um guys, let's not make the ultra powerful Digimon angry by interrupting him, okay?" Henry asked. "That's OK. If the ultra powerful Digimon makes the mistake of attacking us again, Magnamon can beat him up. Right, Veemon?" I asked. "Yeah!" Veemon affirmed. We fist-bumped, and Henry facepalmed. "Are you finished?" Azulongmon asked sternly. "Yes," Kazu, Kenta, Veemon and I said unanimously. The white Sovereign continued. "The early Digimon, our ancestors, lived on that physical layer with the Digi-Gnomes and the true enemy. In those early days the true enemy destroyed many of our ancestors and Digi-Gnomes. Those were dark times indeed, there seemed to be no defense against the true enemy. Nothing was able to stop its unending destruction, it spread a dark hall across the Digital World." On the outer layer of the simulation darkness spread from it. "And it's come back to wipe us out of existence," Zhuqiaomon added. Eight circles appeared between the 5th and 6th layers on the simulation. Azulongmon continued. "With that threat gone, Digimon began to digivolve and new worlds were created. Though the physical layer of the Digital World continued to exist, few lived there." He showed us the new worlds of the Digital World, like the clock world, Gekomon's world, the Dark Ocean, and other places. "Instead, we Digimon expanded into new worlds, for the most part we lived in peace and harmony," he continued. "Man, how come we haven't seen any of that peace and harmony?" Kazu asked.

"We Sovereign digimon created our own level and focused our efforts on protecting the Digital World," Azulongmon answered. A new layer appeared between the circles and 6th. It was the Sovereign layer. "But the power we achieved awoke the slumbering true enemy. So you see it's our own fault. Unless we can find a solution, we will be the cause of our own destruction." "So why are you attacking us?" I asked. "Because we didn't know," Zhuqiaomon answered deviously. "It is the catalyst that helped us Digivolve beyond what we once were. Sonic Zephyr!" He blasted at a rock, turning it into a 3-D triangle. "We had to convince the true enemy that we weren't digivolving to the point where it would become necessary to eliminate us. So the catalyst was hidden, in the form of a Digimon," Azulongmon explained. "Calumon!" Takato realized. The Sovereign Digimon hushed him up. "Not so loud, he might hear you," the turkey warned.

Just then, a flock of Digi-Gnomes came in, carrying a special guest. "Hey, no way, it's Mr. Mizuno!" Takato exclaimed. "Alias the Willy Wonka of the Digital World," I added. Veemon and I fist-bumped again. "I heard there was trouble in the Land of the Digimon Sovereign and I wanted to see it for myself. So, the Digi-Gnomes were gracious enough to bring me here," Mizuno said. One of them perched on Takato's extended arm. "They helped Azulongmon and Mr. Mizuno, not to mention us. It's like they grant wishes or something," Takato said. "Yes, that's a good way of putting it," Azulongmon confirmed. The Digi-Gnomes followed around Mr. Mizuno. "Mr. Mizuno, do you know the name of this true enemy that lived with the Digimon and Digi-Gnomes when the Digital World was first created?" Takato asked. He turned and looked at us. "Its name...D-Reaper," he breathed out.

"D-Reaper?" Takato asked. "You mean, like De Grim Reaper?" I asked. Terriermon facepalmed. Mizuno explained. "When the network was first created, a program was designed to control the growth of artificial intelligence. The D-Reaper deleted any AI programs that exceeded their original parameters. I would imagine that's why the Sovereign have been fighting so hard to stop its return." "Yeah, no wonder they freaked," Kazu said. "But they shouldn't have," the man continued. "D-Reaper was a relatively simple program written to do only one thing. It shouldn't have the strength to destroy such advanced Digimon as the Sovereign, unless...maybe it's mutated." "Mutated? You mean like it grew another arm or something?" Takato inquired. "I think it must've incorporated the data of what it devoured and learned to use it, which means the D-Reaper may have digivolved past the Digimon and now is more powerful than they are," Mizuno answered. Then, he seemingly disappeared. "Huh?" we asked. "He disappeared, right outta thin air," Veemon noted. "Maybe he's a ghost," Coronamon supposed. The Digi-Gnomes flew away. "What if the D-Reaper got to him?" Kenta asked. We stood there, thinking.

* * *

*That voice was probably the digital remnants of Johnny Jacobs.


	18. Chapter 15: Rika Waxes Poetic

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

_Previously on Digimon Tamers International..._

"When the network was first created, a program was designed to control the growth of artificial intelligence. The D-Reaper deleted any AI programs that exceeded their original parameters. I would imagine that's why the Sovereign have been fighting so hard to stop its return." "Yeah, no wonder they freaked," Kazu said. "But they shouldn't have," the man continued. "D-Reaper was a relatively simple program written to do only one thing. It shouldn't have the strength to destroy such advanced Digimon as the Sovereign, unless...maybe it's mutated. I think it must've incorporated the data of what it devoured and learned to use it, which means the D-Reaper may have digivolved past the Digimon and now is more powerful than they are," Mizuno answered. Then, he seemingly disappeared. "Huh?" we asked. "He disappeared, right outta thin air," Veemon noted. "Maybe he's a ghost," Coronamon supposed. The Digi-Gnomes flew away. "What if the D-Reaper got to him?" Kenta asked. We stood there, thinking.

* * *

Chapter 15: Rika Waxes Poetic

Greg

"Do we have a plan or are we just gonna stand around all day?" Rika asked. "Well...why don't you come up with something?" Kazu suggested. She came up with an idea. "Fine, I say we climb on Zhuqiaomon and fly around to scope things out." "Whoa, whoa whoa," I said. "Rika... I just want to make sure I heard you right. You want to hitch a ride on a powerful Mega level Digimon that minutes ago wanted to fry us?" Rika looked at me straight in the eye. "Do you have a better idea?" I shook my head. "Uh uh," I said. Veemon facepalmed. Zhuqiaomon growled. "Zhuqiaomon, what's wrong?" Takato asked. "The true enemy is nearby. I see the Chaos that brings in my mind's eye," the Sovereign answered. "Zhuqiaomon is a poet, but he does not know it," Anya remarked. "OK, enough with the rhyming," Henry said. "Yeah, we should be climbing," Veemon added. My partner and I fist-bumped and laughed at that one. "That was a good one, Veemon," I said.

Henry stared off into the distance, like the stoic guy he usually is. "Well I guess the true enemy is closer than we thought," he observed. Guilmon turned to the white Sovereign. "Um...Mr. Azulongmon, will you help us? Please?" he asked. He turned on the charm with the saddest puppy-dog eyes I've ever seen in my life. No wonder Takato called him "Boy". "Of course," Azulongmon obliged. "The catalyst must be retrieved at all costs. Prepare yourselves children, it is time." Just then, a blue cloud surrounded all of us Tamers and Digimon. It got thicker and thicker. "Why can't the Digimon Sovereign just tell us what they're gonna do?" Kazu groaned. It seemed like we were in a cloud. "I think he ate us. We're doomed!" Kenta lamented. "That's ridiculous," Rika said. She made a small hole through the cloud then blew through it and looked out. She got mildly excited. "We're flying!" "We're flying on Azulongmon Air Lines," I remarked. "Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick again," Kenta moaned. "I like it. Ha ha, it feels like we're in a big poof of cotton candy," Guilmon said. "Ugh, please don't remind me of food, Guilmon. We don't have any," Ed said. Takato just stared at Jeri, who was staring off into who knows what. "Hey Jeri, are you doin' okay?" he asked as he walked to her. "Jeri, you were always so cheerful, and kind, and nice, so it's just...weird to see you like this."

I approached Rika. "You know, Rika, I don't think I'll ever be able to understand Takato," I said. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Well, just look at what he's doing now. I don't think he's been able to keep his eyes or his mind off of Jeri. I'm sure this is love, but he's just not admitting it," I observed. "Why should it mean anything to you?" she asked. "Let me just say that Davis has been a bad example for me, relationship-wise," I answered. "Oh yeah, I know what you mean now. Let me get one thing straight with you, Greg. I'm not interested. I consider you a friend, but that's as far as it goes. As far as I'm concerned, you're just an American boy who's along for the ride." "Fair enough," I said. Then I walked away.

Jeri spoke up. "When my real mother died I swore I wouldn't let anyone take her place. So when my new stepmother came...she wanted to be my friend, but I never gave her a chance. You see I'm not nice, I'm...awful." "That's not true! You're the nicest person I know," Takato said as he sadly walked away.

"Now there is one depressed chick," I remarked to Veemon. "Yeah," he agreed as he nodded his head. "I wish dere was something we could do for her." "I don't know if there's anything we can do, Veemon," I said. Renamon walked over to our location. "Her heart is full of sadness," she remarked. Rika turned to her partner. "I know. It's because Leomon's gone, isn't it?" "Because she was powerless to stop it."

The ride seemed to last a long time. I opened up a slightly bigger window in the cloud just to see where we were. If I looked down, I could see a whole big bunch of nothing. Maybe some rocks, but mostly nothing. Soon, we were headed down. "I hope we are in time to save the Catalyst," Azulongmon said. Terriermon waxed sarcastic. "Really? No kiddin'? So, what do you say ya step on it, huh!" "Terriermon..." Henry growled. "I know," the little Digimon sighed. Moments later, the cloud cleared and we were standing on a rock platform. "I don't see any sign of Calumon," Henry noted. Terriermon got a good look from his Tamer's shoulder. "Or the bottom either," he added. "Well whaddya know? One of the most powerful Digimon in the universe has us staring into a giant pit of nothing!" Veemon exclaimed. "Veemon..." I growled. "Aw man, why couldn't he have put Calumon in a nice meadow or something?" Kazu lamented. Looking down, I saw that red bubbles were coming up from below. "What is that? A lava lamp?" Takato asked. "It is Chaos," Azulongmon answered. One of the bubbles latched onto a rock platform and disintegrated it like it was nothing. "I've never seen anything destroy so effortlessly," Henry said. "If that's what it does to rock, imagine what it'll do to us," I added. "I never thought the true enemy would come so far so quickly," the white Sovereign said. Zhuqiaomon flew down into the chasm. "Good luck!" I shouted down below.

From over the ridge something growled, and it wasn't my stomach. "Huh? Guys, did you hear that?" I asked quickly. Takato pointed up, and it looked like two figures were coming toward us. One was a strange dragon-like robot, and the other was a boy about our age. "Hey it's Cyberdramon!" Takato cheered. "And Ryo's with him," Kazu added. The two came down to our platform. The boy dropped off the shoulder of his Digimon. "Hey, it's the whole gang. I didn't think you'd be here," he said. "Are we glad to see you," Henry answered. "Same here." He looked at Anya, Ed, our Digimon, and me. "Huh? Who are you guys?" he asked. Ed spoke up first. "That's funny. I was going to ask you the same thing." "Oh yeah. The name's Ryo. Ryo Akiyama." He offered his hand. I gave him the Scout handshake. "Nice to meet you. Greg Logan, from Flower Mound, Texas," I said. Anya was the next to shake hands with Ryo. Her last name starts with a K, but it's too long to spell or pronounce. Ryo seemed to like her too. Ed had the most trouble with him. I can't imagine why. I mean, look at him. He looks like a Tamer! He had some kind of wrist gauntlet and shoulder pad. I looked up his Digimon on my D-Arc. "'Cyberdramon, an Ultimate-level Cyborg Digimon. Its body is covered in a unique rubber armor, with which it can endure any attack.' That is awesome!"

* * *

Ed

So this new boy and his Digimon showed up. His name's Ryo Akiyama. So what? He rides in on his dragon and suddenly, he's the greatest thing to happen in the Digital World since sliced bread. He even hit on Rika! Let me be the first to say that Greg and I have been trying to get to know her better for some time. Get a load of this. "Hey Rika, you're lookin' good. You're not gonna leave again on my account are ya?" Ryo asked. "Please, what are you doin' here anyway?" Rika countered. That brought a smile to his face. "Rika you haven't changed a bit," he said. "How observant of you Ryo, you haven't changed either," she answered matter-of-factly. She turned her head. "You're still as annoying as ever." "Rika!" Kazu and Kenta said disapprovingly. Just then, we heard groaning coming up from the chasm. It was Zhuqiaomon, and he looked awful. "Your wing!" Takato gasped. "I couldn't even get close, the Chaos overwhelmed me," the red Digimon admitted. Greg and Henry's mouths dropped to the floor. "It overwhelmed a **Sovereign?" **Greg asked. "I warned you not to underestimate the true enemy. It doesn't eat, sleep, or feel pain, it exists only to destroy," Azulongmon said. "This reminds me of a sermon I once heard. Would you like to hear it?" Zhuqiaomon asked. "I think that would be a good idea," Greg said. He looked to the others. "I think it might get our minds off all this Chaos," he added. I walked off to a corner. This was no time to hear about religion.

* * *

Greg

So, the turkey began his sermon.* "DEATH COMES UNEXPECTEDLY!" he began. "And the God Jehovah will execute His vengeance on ye, who despise His dying love, and trample His benefits underfoot. The unconverted soul, the foolish children of man do miserably delude themselves in the false confidence of their own strength, and wisdom. They trust to nothing but a shadow. But bear testament, death comes unexpectedly. Now you say 'I know, I, I had not intended it to come now. I had laid out matters otherwise, I thought my scheme good. I intended to take effectual care, but death came unexpectedly, like a thief, outwitting me, too quick for me. Oh cursed foolishness, that I had flattered and pleased myself with vain dreams of repentance, but sudden destruction caught me up.' And now He will deal with you. Now the Great King of Heaven of earth will abolish and ANNIHILATE this pride! Will **crush** the **hardened wretch** of the polluted infinite **abomination** and** rain on him** a deluge of FIRE, and BRIMSTONE!" We kept watching the Chaos go up and up. "And where's their strength then? Where are the great Leviathans who defied God then? Where's their courage, these, these these _proud_ spirits?" the Sovereign asked. Jeri moaned, and Takato became tense because of it. "Yes, death comes unexpectedly! And the dread judge has the key of hell- He shuts!- and no man opens. In hell... you will be reserved in chains of darkness forever and forever, this place of atonement, of damned souls & misery, with nothing to relieve you. No comfort. No water for your parched tongues, no place to rest or take a breath, but the everlasting, infinite convulsions of **misery**! Forever! And ever! And ever!" Jeri's moaning became louder and louder. "And who is man, to think he can withstand God's mighty wrath? Great mountains cannot stand before this wrath. Yea, he can lay the earth to pieces in one moment... or SHATTER THE WHOLE UNIVERSE, with one stroke of His fiery sword!" "MAKE HIM STOP! MAKE HIM STOP!" Jeri screamed. She started to stand up and rush towards the fiery bird. Takato, Henry, Veemon, and I had to hold her back.

Did he stop? "How dreadful is the state of those who are in daily danger of this_ great wrath_, this abyss of death, and despair. Yet... this is the dismal case of every soul in this congregation who has not been born again, however moral, or strict, sober, or religious you may otherwise be. There is no security for the wicked! Because there are no visible signs of death at hand! Who here, in this congregation, listening to this discourse, will soon be visited by this covenant of darkness? There you are, sitting there, calm in your knowledge of health, secure in your well-being. Yet who could suffer the **agonies of the damned tomorrow**? Yes, even today, or maybe the next hour, or the next minute? And if we were to know which of you it was, what an **awful **sight it would be. A soul! DOOMED! **To the everlasting bottomless pit, of a divine wrath! YESSSSSSSS! Death comes unexpectedly!**" I let it sink in and felt sick to my stomach. Disney made it sound so much better. Jeri loosed herself and started walking towards the edge of the platform. It became a race to see who could keep her from falling. Takato grabbed onto the back of her dress, pulled her back to safety, and hugged her. The other males took their turn hugging her. It was all we could do to keep her from jumping off. Takato gave Zhuqiaomon the death stare. The Chaos must not have liked it either because another bubble hit the Sovereign's damaged wing. "AHHHHHHHHHH!" he shouted in agony. It was poetic justice, I tell you.

"So how can we defeat this Chaos?" Henry asked. Ryo walked over to the edge and looked down. I looked down with him. "Not much to see, huh?" I asked. Ryo shook his head. "We should just focus on getting Calumon," Henry suggested. The Chaos bubbles increased rapidly. "The Chaos is increasing! Hold on tight!" Azulongmon warned. He pushed the platform to the other side of the chasm and lodged it in the wall, making us all collapse. "Whoa!" I got up and rubbed my head. The others got up. "You guys, we have to come up with a plan and quick," Takato urged. "Yeah, but the canyon's way too deep and the Chaos seems to be everywhere. It's like everything's against us," Henry observed hopelessly. "We seemed destined to fail," Jeri sighed. Did that stop our goggle-head? No. "Don't say things like that Jeri, we can't give up." So we sat there thinking, mostly depressed, watching the Chaos bubbles go up. I wasn't depressed, I was thinking.

Rika turned to her Digimon. "Renamon?" she asked. The fox nodded. "Mmm hmm." "Hey Rika, what do you think you're doing?" Kazu asked. Rika slid down the path. "What's it look like I'm doing?" she asked. Renamon followed. She went farther down and slipped but Renamon caught her. Ryo jumped off the platform and walked down to bring her back. "I've never met anyone so stubborn," he said. "You haven't met my dad," I quipped. "Why are they doing this? Are they crazy? " Takato asked. "Dude, that's what I've been saying about Rika from day one. The girl's crazier than a soup sandwich," Kazu answered. Rika, Ryo, and their Digimon continued their descent.

* * *

Rika

"If we fall, how long do think it would take to hit the bottom?" I asked Renamon. More Chaos rose and we pushed against the wall to stay away from it. "It might be best if we don't think about it," she said. I felt myself slipping, but Renamon caught and pulled me in. If it weren't for Renamon, I don't know where I'd be. There was just something that was bothering me. Jeri said we were destined to fail. I didn't want that to happen. "Um, Renamon... can we change our destiny?" I asked. "Yes of course," she answered. "Well then, do you think we can somehow change Leomon's destiny?" "That's different," she answered again. "Knew it," I figured. I jumped down. "We cannot alter the past Rika, but we can choose to accept it and let it make us stronger," Renamon said. "Make us stronger? Well what about Jeri? Is she destined to be sad?" I shot back. "For a while, whether she stays that way is her choice. We are all responsible for our own destinies. But..." The Chaos rose again and we went up against the wall again. "But what?" I asked. "That's something Jeri has to learn for herself. We cannot learn for her." "I just...want her to be okay," I said. Ya know, it's funny. I considered her dead weight the moment she lost Leomon. I just had to claim some responsibility for her. I tried my best to make her a good Tamer, but just when she had the hang of it... it was all over.

"Huh?" We heard something. "Chugga chugga chugga, WHOA! Oh, aw nuts." Someone climbed up on another ledge. "I don't believe it!" I said. It was Calumon! He tripped, then ran up the ledge, and jumped into my arms. All three of us were just so happy to see each other. "I'm so happy you're here! I was so cold, and lonely, and scared," Calumon ranted. I just nodded my head. "I know, everything's alright now," I said. "Watch out!" Renamon urged. She grabbed the two of us away just as a Chaos bubble got my backpack. I watched it disappear. "My backpack! That was close." I breathed a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't me. Just then, another bubble came right into my face. Something sliced it in half. Ryo pulled us into an indent. "Get in here quick!" Whew... I was glad to see him. Wait- what was he doing here? Ryo started to chew me out. "What is wrong with you, putting yourself in danger like that?" he asked. "Hey what are you yelling at me for? You're down here too, aren't you!" I shot back. We looked at the Chaos. "Ugh, so what are we supposed to do now? The Chaos is everywhere." Ryo quickly walked out. "Cyberdramon, let's do it," he said. He pulled out a card and his D-Arc. "Digi-Modify! Avenging Knight Activate!" He slashed the card and Cyberdramon got two jousting swords. The Digimon then flew down into the cave a little and placed the swords in the wall. "Some plan, genius," I commented. Ryo grinned. "Watch and learn," he said. "Desolation Claw!" Cyberdramon shouted as he cut at the rocks. He fired the same attack over and over, causing a giant rockslide. The swords held the rocks up so they'd block the Chaos. "See, what I tell ya? Now's our chance," he said. We started climbing. "Hey Ryo, that was pretty good, for a boy," I said.

* * *

Greg

"You're going to **what!?" **I asked. "Repel down the chasm with Azulongmon's beard," Kazu answered. I just shook my head. "Oh no. Not me. Not me. I'm not putting my fate in a Digimon's facial hair. Especially not when ExVeemon can fly." "He has a point, you know," Anya added. "I don't think it's such a bad idea," Takato disagreed. I rolled my eyes and looked to my partner. "So what do you say? Are you up to it?" I asked him. "I dunno, I think it would be kind of fun to ride on his beard," Veemon said. I got down to his level. "Look, Veemon... Mr. Azulongmon is very generous in his offer to use his facial hair to help us down this chasm. I bet he would feel terrible if anything happened to us. Am I right?" "Right," Azulongmon said. "Besides, ExVeemon can fly, Firamon can fly, and Sunflowmon can fly. A Scout may be brave, but he's also thrifty," I said. Ed raised his hand. "I'd personally like to repel," he said. "You're not helping," I muttered. "And you're chicken," Ed countered. Coronamon flapped his arms and started cackling like a Rhode Island Red. If he wanted to fight, then we were going at it. "All right, what were you doing when Suzie fell out of the barrier?" I asked. "The same thing you were doing," he answered. I turned back to Veemon. "Come on, Veemon. Please? I don't want to repel down there," I pleaded. He thought about it for a moment, then smiled. "Hmmm... all right, since ya asked so nicely," he said. We fist-bumped. "Thanks, man," I said. I searched my deck and got out my D-Arc. "Wait a minute," Veemon interrupted. "I got an idea. I'm thinkin' I'll be too heavy if I digivolve right here. So maybe just a second before you scan da card, I jump off." Terriermon laughed. "HA HA HA HA HA! Oh, that's rich! Veemon, you're even crazier than Kazu!" "Got a better idea, Bunny Boy?" he asked. Kazu and Kenta seemed to enjoy this. Terriermon was absolutely livid. "No," he deadpanned.

So, Veemon got up close to the ledge. I got my card and D-Arc ready. I thought I'd skip the spinning because we didn't have much time. "Ready?" I asked. Veemon gave me the thumbs-up, and then the unthinkable happened. Ed went and pushed Veemon off the edge. "AHHHhhhhhhhhh!" he shouted as he fell. I just glared at Ed. "Why?" I asked. He didn't say anything. "Veemon! Are you OK?" I called down. It was deadly silent for a few minutes. "Oh my gosh..." I turned to Ed, and then rushed toward him. I grabbed him by his collar. "You killed Veemon, I KNOW IT!" "Greg..." Henry called. He pulled me back. "I'm OK!" we faintly heard. I looked down and saw two small things waving at me. I breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to Ed. "Now Ed, what is your problem?" I asked. Ed turned away. "That new kid," he said. I raised my eyebrows. "Do you mean Ryo?" I asked. "Yeah," Ed responded. "Oh I get it. You're jealous, aren't ya?" Kazu asked him. He didn't answer. "You didn't have to take it out on Veemon," I said. Ed started walking away. "Hey wait a sec, don't walk away from me!" I shouted to him. He stopped and turned around. "Here's a riddle for you. I'm at a place where I hear thousands of people screaming my name and yet I feel completely _alone. _Where am I?" We thought about it and looked to each other. I shrugged. "We don't know," I said. "_Harmony Street Live _at the MTN Sundome," he answered coldly. "There's no time for petty jealousy-" Henry started to counter, but Takato put his hand up to silence him. He walked over to Ed. "Look, I know it's tough. For a long time, I was alone. I'm an only child, and I'm not exactly what you call a social butterfly. The great thing about being a Tamer is that you can meet so many people, like us. Ed, you're a good member of the team. You're likable, you're talented, you're brave, you're just... cool." "But what you did was wrong," Henry cut in. Takato put his hand up again to silence him. Coronamon joined the two. "Ed, you still have me," he chirped in. Ed paused to think about it. "You're right. I guess I forgot that. I'm never alone as long as I have you chaps. It's just that when I saw you crowding around this Ryo fellow, I got sort of jealous. I thought I wasn't as important and that you might forget me." "Ed, who could forget you?" I asked. Ed sighed. "I'm sorry," he said. He offered his hand. I didn't take it. "All right, I'll go down and get him," he offered. I finally accepted his hand and shook it.

Minutes later, Anya and I mounted Firamon. The others made Swiss seats out of Azulongmon's beard. Those repelling grabbed onto the hair and jumped. Firamon lifted off and made his way down. It took us a while to get down there.

* * *

Rika

At the bottom of the chasm, we were still making our climb up. I looked down. The Chaos was starting to seep through again! "You go first," Ryo said. I nodded. "OK." "Bye!" Calumon said as I started my climb. "That barrier won't hold for long," Renamon noted. Suddenly, we heard echoes from above. "Rika!" "Anybody down there!" "Hello?" "Hey Pineapple Head!" I looked up, and it was Takato and his crew. I waved up to them. "Hey you guys!" I shouted. "We've come to rescue you!" Kenta called down to me. Figures. "What? Do I look like I need rescuing?" "Actually I think we all do," Ryo said. More Chaos bubbles rose up. Ryo got his card holder melted as he batted one away from him. "Hurry we're running out of time," he urged. I started up, then stopped. What's the use? "We're just kidding ourselves, there's no way we can escape. At this rate the Chaos will get us and everyone above too," I said. Meanwhile, Ed was looking for something. "I'm over here," a voice called to him. It was Veemon, stuck on a ledge. Ed started swinging on his rope, back and forth. He built up a momentum, kicking off the rocks with his feet. Then when he finally had enough, he let go of what he was holding onto and jumped. "AHHHHHHHHH!" he shouted as he let go. I couldn't help but stare at him. Veemon reached out his hands and caught him! "Gotcha!" he said as he held on. He pulled Ed up. Firamon landed on another ledge where Greg and Anya got off.

* * *

Greg

Firamon landed on another ledge where Anya and I got off. I looked at what had happened and chuckled. Ed was supposed to be rescuing Veemon but it turned out to be the other way around. "What is so funny?" Anya asked. "Oh nothing, just an unlikely turn of events," I said. Anya shrugged. The Chaos kept going up, but Ed just stood there staring at it.

* * *

Ed

I had to think of something fast. What kind of choreography would I need to solve this situation? I pulled out a card and thought. "Takato, you're a great friend. So are you, Veemon. I wish I could be more like you." I remembered what Greg and I were discussing earlier on our way to this chasm. He had thought that Anya and I were buying him time so he could Matrix Digivolve Veemon to Magnamon. The truth is, I wasn't. I was looking out for myself as usual, and I told him that. "Could've fooled me," he said. I had pushed Veemon down. I had nearly done what Beelzemon did to Jeri and all because I was jealous and insecure. I never want to do that again. I turned to Veemon. "Veemon... you could have let me go. Why didn't you?" I asked him. "Because then I wouldn't have been any better than Beelzemon. Besides dat, we're friends. At least, I think we are," he said. Friends... there was that word again. "You know, maybe I could make an effort to be friendlier," I said. Then, my card flashed blue. "Huh?" I concentrated, buying more and more into the power of friendship. The card turned blue and stayed there. The Chaos kept rising higher and higher, so I pulled out my D-Arc. "Are you ready to rock, Firamon?" I called to the other side. "READY!" he roared.

* * *

Greg

Firamon turned to the two of us. "Stand back, I don't know what's going to happen," he said. We got our backs to the wall and watched. From a distance, Ed had a Blue Card and was just about to scan it. "Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution Activate!"

**MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Firamon Digivolve to..." The red triangle slid into the fiery center of his headband. Firamon became covered in flame as he jumped up. His wings fell off as his mane grew longer in the back and shorter in the front. He also gained a championship belt, armor on his upper chest and shoulders, and two wrist protectors. His front paws became more like hands and he stood upright. Finally, he posed by punching the air, shooting a flame out of it. "Flaremon!" he called.

"Guren Jūouha!"* He summoned the spirit of a lion and roared! That created a lion-shaped energy wave that hit a part of the rock wall, causing rocks to cover up the Chaos. It wasn't enough though. I looked down. Rika had passed off Calumon to the new guy and was headed further and further down. I could feel my jaw dropping in shock. "RIKA! GET BACK UP HERE!" I shouted to her. "NO!" she faintly shouted back. Ryo was trying the same thing himself, with no luck.

Rika

I had to do something. More rocks had fallen down, buying me just a bit more time. I didn't know who did it. Renamon followed me. "Listen to me for once, please, I'm begging you. Go back now and there's a chance you'll survive, stay and you'll be walking into certain death," she pleaded. "You're staying," I countered. "I'm a Digimon, fighting is my way of life, not yours. What kind of partner would I be if I let any harm come to you?" she asked. I just stood there, staring at the pit. "We can choose our own destiny, right?" Renamon reluctantly nodded. "Then I choose... to stay, and fight with you!" I jumped, and she followed me. This was it, now... or never. I wasn't prepared to spend the rest of my life in regret because I'd played it safe. If I was going to die, I would do it with my partner.

* * *

Greg

She actually jumped. "YOU IDIOT!" I shouted. Just then, my D-Arc started beeping. Anya's did too, so we picked them up. "Another Digivolution so soon?" I thought to myself. Looking at it, it was. Rika and Renamon had a yellow aura. "Hmm... maybe she's not so stupid after all," I thought out loud.

**BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION_**

"_Biomerge Activate!" Rika called as she held up her D-Arc. Then, she closed her eyes and brought it down over the blue broken heart piece on her blouse. She held it there tightly with both hands as it glows a blue light. Then, her clothes, her pineapple ponytail, and the D-Arc were put in digital storage as fractal code covered her now-naked body. The light seemed to be brighter in the center, probably so we wouldn't get a peep show. _

"_Renamon Biomerge To..." Their bodies merged as the camera shifted to a scene of a slightly cloudy night sky with a full moon. It was actually water as Renamon's feet lowered into it. A scene of cherry blossoms against a night sky became water as Renamon's hand reached inside becoming longer and sleeker. A rippling reflection of Renamon's body became a dark-skinned woman with a mask-clad face looking away. She turned toward us and thrust her hand out, firing beams of different colors from the water. These beams wrapped around her body as the camera zoomed in. They revealed bits and pieces of this new Digimon's armor. Reflections of Kyubimon and Taomon shifted aside to reveal a woman holding her hand in front of her face. She slowly removed it to reveal her face. Rika's head looked on as the camera revealed the upper profile of an armor-clad and well-endowed female Digimon. She jumped up to cover the moon, flipped, and landed on her feet on a shield that rippled in the ground. She quickly spun with her scepter and revealed her name. "Sakuyamon!"_

Rika

The light, it's so warm. Ha ha ha ha. Sakuyamon... I feel her strength, her power, her thoughts. I am Sakuyamon, and she is me.

* * *

Greg

"She blew it," I lamented. What a let down. I mean she started off very well, with her Digivice held high and her fist clenched. But then she just stood there. She stood there, with her eyes closed, holding it in front of the heart on her top. To be fair, the actual sequence was very beautiful. It didn't have any computer-generated imaging, but that probably would have been distracting. Sakuyamon was, and is, beautiful. I didn't know Rika had it in her. "Biomerge sequences must bring out the true personality in a way," I said. This new hybrid spoke. "I, Sakuyamon... protector of all things true, will do my duty," she said. "Do her duty?" I asked. She lit up and waxed poetic. "River of Chaos, oh red sea of destruction follow now my voice and feel the twin blades..." She jumped up and slashed with her scepter. "Of beauty! And of truth!" The Chaos splashed all over in spheres. "Then, fall before my light!" The slashes she made turned into bright pink light that illuminated the entire chasm, followed by flower petals.

"Who in the world is that?" Takato asked. "She rocks," Kazu said. Henry unclipped the D-Arc from his belt and looked up her data. "Sakuyamon, a shaman Data-type Digimon, Mega level! Renamon and Rika bio-merged to Mega!" Sakuyamon went to Takato and the others. "Takato, are you alright?" she asked. "Yeah," he said. "You saved our lives, Sakuyamon," Henry added. "Think nothing of it," she said. "Hey Sakuyamon!" I shouted. She turned in our direction. "Yes?" she asked. "You were awesome. I had no idea you could be so... poetic." Cyberdramon, with Ryo in tow, flew up to her. "I must admit Rika, you are unbelievable," Ryo said. "Yeah!" Calumon added. She chuckled. The pink light stopped. Azulongmon and Zhuqiaomon flew out of the chasm and Azulongmon carried us back to terra firma.

"So what have you guys been up to?" Calumon asked. Guilmon spoke first. "We were looking for you, what do you think we were doing silly?" Calumon jumped on Azulongmon's chain and started dancing. "Well I thought about cream puffs mostly," he said. Guilmon and Terriermon fell flat on their faces. "Great, we looked death in the eye to save him and he's going on about cream puffs," Kazu mused. "**Excuse me?**" Sakuyamon asked in Rika's voice. "**Ryo and I** were looking death in the eye, **you** were swinging on a rope like a monkey." "It wasn't a rope, Rika," I said. "It was Azulongmon's beard."

We made it back to Zhuqiaomon's domain, where Sakuyamon touched ground and split back into Tamer and Digimon. When they had finished splitting, Rika looked almost the same as she did before the sequence. All that was missing was her pineapple ponytail. "I can't believe we finally did it. Thanks for your help, Azulongmon," Takato said. "I did nothing. It was you, humans and Digimon fighting together that stopped the Chaos," the Sovereign answered. Rika put the last finishing touches on her hair when Jeri rushed to her and hugged her. "Oh Rika, I thought I'd lost another friend," she said. Rika smiled. "Not a chance," she answered reassuringly. Calumon ran to Jeri, smiling and laughing. "Hi, Jeri!" he cheered. She glanced at him sadly, and that made him sad as well. He retracted his ears.

"Well I guess this means we can finally go home," Henry said. That put a smile on everyone's face. "Home," Takato agreed. "Where all the bread is," Guilmon added. Just then, the ground shook again. "Huh?" The Chaos shot up from the center of the Sovereign Land. "The Chaos! I knew it, the humans only delayed its progress. Can nothing stop this madness?" Zhuqiaomon demanded. The Chaos hit the center orb that connected all four areas and disintegrated it. Then, it spread itself into long arms that broke up into pebbles, scattering everywhere. "No one can fight this, it's everywhere. What do we do?" Henry asked in desperation. "It's time for you to leave, this is not your battle. We will stay to defend our world!" Azulongmon said. "**And we will fight to the bitter end!**" the turkey added.

* * *

The sermon was actually written for the 1960 Walt Disney film _Pollyanna._

Guren Jūouha: (紅蓮獣王波 lit. "Crimson Beast-King Wave")


	19. MusicBreak 4: I'll Be There For You

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Music Break #4

"I'll Be There For You"

Written by David Crane, Marta Kauffman, Michael Skloff, Allee Willis, Phil Sōlem, and Danny Wilde

Performed by The Picassos

Lead Vocals: Kazu Shioda [Brad MacDonald] and Kenta Kitagawa [Steve Blum]

_On the set of World News Tonight. The familiar chords of the WNT theme start up as we see the titles "ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings". The camera zooms in on the star of the show, Peter Jennings, at his desk. "Good evening, we begin tonight with good news in the skies. The super-sonic commercial aircraft Concorde resumed flying after a 15-month break," he says. Just then, the gang sets up drums, stand mics, and amplifiers in the background. "OK, move it back, move it back... That's good... perfect!" Kazu says as Guilmon sets down the amplifier. Peter turns around. "What do you think you're doing?" he asks. "Ah, relax man. We're just setting up," Kazu replies. _

_The drummer taps out the time. Moments later, we hear the familiar guitar intro to the "Friends" theme song. "I think I am losing control of my newscast," Peter deadpans. We shift to Kazu and Kenta both playing electric guitar, with Guardromon on drums._

_Kazu/Kenta:_

_**So no one told you life was gonna be this way **_

_Everyone except Peter quickly claps four times._

_Kazu/Kenta:_

_**Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D.O.A. **_

_**It's like you're always stuck in second gear**_

_**But when it hasn't been your day, your week  
Your month or even your year but **_

_**I'll be there for you**_

_Rika and Ryo dance across the floor, stopping midway to give each other a strange look._

_Kenta:  
**When the rain starts to pour**  
_

_Veemon steals Kazu's sun visor. _

_Kazu/Kenta:_

_**I'll be there for you**_

_Anya shakes her tambourine very unconvincingly._

_Kenta_:_  
__**Like I've been there before**__  
_

_Lalamon floats around the newsroom carrying a small tambourine._

_Kazu/Kenta:_

_**I'll be there for you  
'Cause you're there for me too**_

_Guilmon looks at Peter's papers and then stares at a nearby video screen. Unfortunately, his mouth is left open so he's drooling all over the papers. Peter quickly grabs them away and tries to clean them up._

_Kazu/Kenta:_

_**You're still in bed at ten and work began at eight  
You've burned your breakfast **_

_**So far things are going great **_

_Rika knocks out Guardromon, puts on her shades, and starts to work on the drums._

_Kazu/Kenta:_

_**Your mother warned you there'd be days like these  
But she didn't tell you when the world  
Was brought you down to your knees and**_

_**I'll be there for you**_

_While Peter tries to get more copies of his notes, Greg sits down at his spot and lip-synchs to the chorus. _

_Kenta:  
**When the rain starts to pour**  
_

_Peter comes back with his papers to find his spot has been taken. He throws up his papers in resignation._

_Kazu/Kenta:_

_**I'll be there for you**_

_Renamon tries to figure out what to do with her tambourine._

_Kenta_:_  
__**Like I've been there before**__  
_

_Coronamon and Ed break into dance._

_Kazu/Kenta:_

_**I'll be there for you  
'Cause you're there for me too**_

_Suzie dances with Lopmon, who doesn't seem to like it much._

_Kazu:_

_**No one could ever know me, no one could ever see me **_

_Kazu/Kenta:_

_**Since you're the only one who knows what it's like to be me **_

_Takato, Henry, and Terriermon see what a good time the others are having and join in._

_Kenta:_

_**Someone to face the day with, make it through all the rest with  
Someone that I'll always laugh with **_

_Kazu/Kenta:_

_**Even at my worst, I'm best with you, yeah **_

_Renamon does a foxtrot with Peter across the studio. Ted Koppel walks in and mouths something to the effect of "What is going on here?" Peter shrugs. Ted stands there in a dignified way, but soon can't help but tap his foot to the beat. In a small box at the top of the main screen, the day's electronic news gathering footage appears on the screen while Coronamon tries to play and later sets fire to an electric guitar. Ed facepalms._

_Kazu/Kenta:_

_**It's like you're always stuck in second gear**_

_**But when it hasn't been your day, your week  
Your month or even your year **_

_Rika pounds out the beat as the sprinklers turn on._

_Kazu/Kenta:_

_**I'll be there for you**_

_Renamon switches partners to Ted Koppel._

_Kenta:  
**When the rain starts to pour**  
_

_Takato and Henry play air guitars next to Kazu and Kenta._

_Kazu/Kenta:_

_**I'll be there for you**_

_Anya still quite can't get her tambourine right, so she throws it into the air and breaks into dance._

_Kenta_:_  
__**Like I've been there before**__  
_

_Greg plays a small set of bongos at Peter's spot and lip-synchs to Veemon. _

_Kazu/Kenta:_

_**I'll be there for you  
'Cause you're there for me too**_

_**I'll be there for you**_

_The chaos breaks to the now-vacant Nightline set, where Henry busts a move. _

_Kazu/Kenta:_

_**I'll be there for you**_

_The other journalists in the newsroom are dancing, having a good time. Greg points to the screen in a ploy to the audience watching as the next line appears on a small sub box._

_Kazu/Kenta:_

_**I'll be there for you**_

_**'Cause you're there for me too**_

_The song ends with almost the entire Tamers gang (with the exception of Jeri) and their Digimon posing under the ABC News sign. The camera fades to black._

_A few seconds later, it fades in to find Takato sitting at Peter's spot. "And now, let's find out what's happening on Nightline tonight. Henry?" he says. The camera shifts to the Nightline set, where Henry is reading over Ted's notes. "Uh, on Friday, Ted Koppel will interview General Pervez Musharraf, whoever he is. You guys just wanna hang out tonight?" The camera shifts back to the WNT set, where Greg has joined him. "Sure thing, Henry. And now, we turn to Anya for a preview of PrimeTime Thursday," Greg says. At the PrimeTime Thursday set, Anya addresses the audience. "We will take a tour of my beloved country, the Republic of Moldova," she says. We come back to the WNT set. "Are you having fun over there, Peter?" Greg asks. Peter doesn't respond, he's too busy mopping up the floor. Greg stares right into the camera and mouths "I think he is" to the audience. Takato then addresses the audience. "Anyway, I think that does it for tonight. I'm Takato Matsuki." "And I'm Greg Logan." Just then, a phone rings. Kazu answers it. "Hello?" He pauses. "Just a moment." He covers the mouthpiece and shouts to the others. "Hey guys! You should hear what they're doing at NBC!"_

_The camera quickly cuts to the set of NBC Nightly News where Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and their Pokemon are jamming out to "Born to Be a Winner" (the Johto League Champions theme) with Tom Brokaw looking on in despair. _

_Greg then speaks to the audience."Freaky. For Peter Jennings and all of us at ABC News, good night and good luck." He then straightens up the papers and even starts reading some of them. The lights dim as the World News Tonight theme plays. The camera then fades to black as the piece ends._


	20. Chapter 16: Beat the Clock

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 16: Beat the Clock

Greg

"You're sure about this? You're not going to get mad if we just leave and head back to our world?" I asked. "Yes," Azulongmon answered. Takato tried reasoning with them. "But we can't just leave you, you'll have to fight the D-Reaper all on your own," he said. "Look, they're Sovereign Digimon. They're Mega level, I think they can handle it," I answered. "Easy for you to say," Terriermon shot back. Guilmon growled again as more Chaos surged upward making Zhuqiaomon fly out of the way. "You can and you must, staying here can only end in tragedy," Azulongmon insisted. Meanwhile, Jeri was playing with her hand puppet. She's not a very good ventriloquist. I could see her mouth moving the whole time.

* * *

Beelzemon

Well bright boy, you've really messed things up this time. Now what are you gonna do? Nothing. Because you've fouled that up too that's why. You're so pathetic. The only reason you're still standin' is because that knight showed mercy on ya. Mercy... There's dat girl again. She looks so miserable. Why is she starin' at me? Why is she starin' at me? It's like I've done something wrong. I finally got what I wanted... but was it worth it?

"WHAT ARE YOU LOT LOOKIN' AT, HUH? AND WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

I could easily destroy all of these Chrysallimon in one fell swoop, if I wanted to. Yet, why bother? The pain would just go on and on, never ending. This power's become a curse to me, so I won't do anything. I'll just stand there and let them take it from me. Yeah, that's it. Go ahead, take it from me. I don't want it!

DAT'S IT! TAKE IT ALL! I DON'T WANT IT!

* * *

Greg

The digital equivalent of Old Faithful charged again. "We have something like this in the States," I told Takato. "Oh really?" he asked. "Yeah, it's called Old Faithful. It's all the way in Wyoming and goes off every so often," I said. "That thing is toying with us," Zhuqiaomon noted. "Zhuqiaomon may be right, it's just playing with us," Ryo agreed. Suzie ran and hid behind a rock, scared to death. Lopmon followed her. Just then, two more giant Digimon arrived. One of them was a two-headed turtle with a tree growing on its back, and the other was a white tiger. I turned my D-Arc to the turtle first. "'Ebonwumon, a Mega Level Animal Digimon.' Hey, it's one of the four Sovereigns," I said. It spoke in a Scottish accent. "Hey Fly boy O'Cranky, has the true enemy returned to disturb our peace? " the first head asked. "Is it willing to negotiate?" the second one asked. Zhuqiaomon landed next to Ebonwumon and the tiger. "No, it will be long before you sleep again my friend. This is the day we have feared," the turkey answered sadly. "Then it is time to make our final preparations, will the catalyst cooperate?" the tiger asked. "He must or we shall surely perish," Azulongmon said. He turned to Calumon. "Catalyst, the time has come for you to acknowledge your true nature. The truth in your heart. You are the light of digivolution itself. A power unimaginable and so dangerous that the ancient ones granted my wish. You became a Digimon. And for a time, the light remained concealed from the true enemy, but that time has passed. And we need you to reveal the light to us." Calumon extended his ears and lifted off toward the sky. "Calumon's awfully small," Terriermon said. "Yeah, no kidding," Henry agreed. The tiny Digimon flew in the middle of the four Sovereign. "Little mystery we must protect the sanctity of our homes," the first turtle head spoke. "We are all that stands between our world and complete destruction," the tiger added. "It is your duty to give us back the light," Zhuqiaomon requested. Azulongmon spoke again. "It is your duty as the catalyst, but you are now more than that. You are also a Digimon. As Calumon you have earned the right to choose your destiny. Will you help us?" "Now that's a silly question, of course I will," Calumon answered. He rose a little higher with his eyes closed and hands together, almost like he was praying. Then, he started spinning in a circle and the light show began.

* * *

Calumon

Azulongmon is very nice, and I don't wanna disappoint him. So I won't. I'll dig right down inside and find that stuff he needs.

Oooh, Azulongmon's about to say something. "Ancient ones hear me, grant the wish in his heart." Yeah, that's it. Grant the wish in my heart. But where is it? I guess I gotta find it. Okay, down the throat. Oh ha ha, that tickles. Nope, not there.

Wait a minute, there it is. Oh, that's not so deep. It was there all along, and it's _warm and bright_. Just like playing with a friend, oh, like something you've just gotta share.

* * *

Greg

The light was surrounding Calumon, giving him an outline aura. A 3D triangle came down to him, and now it was all about to come to a climax. "SHINING DIGIVOLUTION!"

Rainbow light went around to the Sovereign, giving them power, and then it went all over the Digital World. "It's beautiful," Anya sighed. A few minutes later, thousands of Digimon of all kinds were flying over in our direction. If there was a chance to fill up whatever a PokeDex was in the Digital World, this was it! Everyone was in awe, especially Kazu and Kenta. They were pointing to Digimon left and right. "Dude there's Boltmon! And Pleciomon, sweet! And uh, GrandKuwagamon! Oh man, I always wanted that card!" More Digimon flew in, including that gnome-like Digimon who gave us breakfast during one of my first few days in the Digital World. Calumon ended his light show and fainted out of exhaustion. There Calumon was, dropping down faster than a 40-yard pass. "Rika..." he moaned. The pass was good! She handled that Digimon like it was her own child. "Calumon, you're my hero," she said. Guilmon got a good look. " Really?" Calumon asked. "Really, truly, I always knew you had it in you," Guilmon said. "Yeah, that was awesome," Veemon added. Just then, a thought came to Takato. "Wait a minute, what happened to the Digi-Gnomes?" he asked. "They used their life force to deliver Calumon's light to the other Digimon," Henry explained. Takato sadly nodded.

Just then, another Mega Digimon came crashing down to the pavement. Kenta rushed to the scene. "That must've hurt," he said as he pulled the Digimon out by the tail. It was a little pink guy. "Okay, there's no way you're a Mega," Kenta assumed. Rika looked up the Digimon's data on her D-Arc and giggled a bit. "Wrong again, Kenta. Meet MarineAngemon, Mega. 'Special attack Kahuna Waves.'" "Kahuna Waves?" I asked. I double-checked on my D-Arc. "Yep, 'Kahuna Waves'." MarineAngemon latched onto Kenta's leg. "Hey, what are you doing? I kinds need that leg. Let go already!" Kenta ordered as he shook his leg. The little Digimon let go and stared at him. "Now what are you doing? Come on, the others are waiting." It went up to his chest. "Heh heh, seems that Digimon's smitten with you," I said. Kenta did not look impressed as he picked it up and gently threw it away, like a young canary. "Are you lost, little Digimon? Go on, thatta way now, fly and be free!" MarineAngemon flew away sadly.

A few minutes later, Takato's PDA went off. Takato picked it up and answered it. "Huh? It's a message from Yamaki!" he said as he quickly read the message. "What's it say?" Henry asked. We rushed around Takato. "'We're sending an Ark to bring you home,'" he read. "All right, perfect timing. Don't cha think?" Henry said, grinning. "An ark? What are you two talking about?" Rika asked half-jokingly. "You know like Noah's Ark. It's sort of a digital boat they're sending from the Real World." "Is it big?" Guilmon asked. Terriermon jumped from Henry's shoulder to Guilmon's head. "Big as it needs to be, we're going home!" "YAY!" Suzie cheered as she held up Lopmon. She ran around with that Digimon happily as we all laughed. "I've never been so relieved in my life," Henry said. I was happy too, but it made me wonder. It seems as though I wasn't the only one. "Wait a minute, where's Jeri?" Kazu asked. He looked out over the horizon. "Isn't that just like a girl?" he asked. Takato ran out a little and started calling for her. "Jeri, where are ya? We're goin' home! Jeri! Jeri? Where'd ya go?"

So we went on the search for Jeri. "Olly olly oxen free!" I called. Anya gave the Russian equivalent. Guardromon finally found her behind a rock. She came out and we ran to her. However, there was something about her eyes. It was like there was a little dot in the center of a brown-green oval. She just stared at Takato, then held up her sock puppet.

Later, we met up with the rest of the group. Takato's PDA went off again as our goggle-head picked it up and read its message. "'First a beam of light will appear, that's the ark's track. Pay attention, this is important. You have to be at the end of the track before the timer reaches zero.' That sounds easy enough." A beam of light shot into the screen. "Depends on how much time we have," Rika said. A few seconds later, a timer appeared on the PDA and began to count down. "Hm, only 40 minutes," Takato noted. "So what do you think will happen if we don't get there in time?" Rika asked. Takato just shook his head.

"Gee, Henry this feels like old times, us runnin' away from a fight and all," Terriermon said. "Yeah, but I'm not bein' a pacifist this time, this may be our only way back home Terriermon," Henry answered. "Then what are we doing standing here? Let's look for that thing," Ed proposed. Alas, the turkey held us up. "You Digimon who have chosen human partners, I still detest your choice. I may never overcome my disgust, my feeling that your actions are an abomination against digital kind! However, I will respect your decision, go...with the human beings," he said. Lopmon bowed to Zhuqiaomon. "My Sovereign, your generosity and wisdom are without bounds, thank you," she spoke. Terriermon jumped in front of her. "Thanks Zhuster, it's been real," he added. Henry facepalmed. "Aw nuts, there he goes again. We better get outta here before Zhuqiaomon throttles him. Somehow we have to get back to where we entered the Digital World," he grumbled. "Oh that's easy. I entered in a cave and landed in a crater," I said, smiling. "I think he means the flag," Veemon replied, correcting me. Another blue cloud picked us up and we were off. This time, we let our heads stick out of the top. "Thanks for everything! We'll never forget you!" Takato called to the Sovereigns. Just then, a stream of Chaos shot up high. It was headed for the Real World!

We later arrived at our original spot. The cloud disappeared as soon as we hit ground. "Alrighty then, we're back where we started. Uh, now what?" Terriermon asked. Takato looked at the clock. "I don't know, Yamaki made it sound like the tracks would be obvious. We only have 30 minutes left. Why doesn't anything ever work out like we planned?" he asked. "Yeah and it's almost time for nightfall," Ryo added. Renamon tensed up, and Rika noticed. "Renamon, what's wrong? You seem really distracted," Rika noted. "I feel his presence," Renamon said solemnly. A tumbleweed of data went by along with a small scarf. The fox Digimon picked it up. "He's alive?" Rika asked. "Who's alive?" I asked. "Um, nothing. Rika and I have something we must do," Renamon quickly stated. This raised more than a few eyebrows as we all rushed to them. "Hey, have you guys gone round the bend? We're going home," Terriermon said. "I know, but this is important and we'll be back in time," Renamon reasoned. "Otherwise the team loses $15,000 and you," I said half-jokingly and half-seriously. "What are you talking about?" Veemon asked. I got down to his level and got close to his ear. "Confidentially, I think Rika's the Mole,*" I whispered. Veemon just nodded his head.

Renamon picked Rika up and then dashed away quickly. I stood there in awe, staring at the whole thing. "Whoa... Renamon's incredible," I said. "We'll never see them again," Kenta said. Kazu had other ideas. "Of course we will Chumley, she just has to do things her way. Once she gets an idea in her head there's no stoppin' her." "Someone should follow her just to make sure she's OK," Coronamon suggested. Ed shook his head. "You'd have to be a complete bonehead to leave now. Besides, I have a feeling she'll be back," Ed said, staring into the distance. "I hope so," I added. I meant it.

* * *

Rika

I looked out with my binoculars. Nothing but rocks as far as the eyes could see. I never thought I'd be doing this. I put them down. "You're telling me you actually heard Impmon call out?" I asked Renamon. She nodded. "Yes, there has always been a connection between us. Then when we became Sakuyamon, I felt..." She stopped. "What?" Then she turned to me. "I felt a deep protective feeling, not just for those I like but compassion for all living creatures. Did you feel it too Rika?" she asked. Come to think of it, I had. It was weird. For a long time, I only cared about Renamon and becoming stronger. The light inside Sakuyamon was so warm, so... peaceful. It did something to me, something I just couldn't explain. I thought I was going to lose my edge, but I didn't. "I did, but I have to admit it's a little overwhelming. There are so many people who need our help," I said. "We'll start with Impmon, because every wave begins with a drop of water," she answered wistfully. I looked out over the horizon. "Heh, yeah, but waves don't talk back. They also don't make good friends," I joked. "If he gets too mouthy I'll gag him with his bandana. Let's go." Renamon picked me up in her arms as we jumped from rock to rock.

* * *

* * *

* * *

This whole scene reminded me of a movie I saw just a few weeks before we left for the Digital World. It was _Superman: The Movie. _There was this one scene where Superman carried Lois Lane in his arms as they flew around Metropolis or wherever it was they were flying to. Now it was happening to me, and it was weird. I would've preferred riding Kyubimon. I made a mental note to remind her of this once we picked up Impmon.

* * *

A few minutes later, Renamon spotted something and stopped. I got off and we started calling for Impmon. He was dragging himself across the desert when we found him. My partner quickly kneeled toward him. "Impmon, can you stand?" she asked. He got up and brushed himself off like nothing had happened. "Hm, course I can," he said. This wasn't going to be easy, I could tell. "We want you to come home with us," I said. He gained his bravado. "You out of ya teeny, tiny minds? I ain't goin' anywhere!" he insisted. I put his bandanna around his neck, and he seemingly changed his mind. "Hm, well maybe if ya asked me real nice. You're not just playing a joke?" he asked. I smiled. "If so the joke's on us. Come on."

* * *

* * *

Greg

Night fell upon the desert, and there was the green beacon of light. It was our ticket home, but I knew we weren't going to leave without Rika. Takato wouldn't allow it, and neither would I. We ran as far as we could go to get to the beam. "This is the point of no return," Henry said. "No joke," I added. The timer hit zero.

* * *

* _The Mole _is a reality show developed by Woestijnvis and created and produced by Stone Stanley Entertainment. The first season aired from January 9 - February 28, 2001 on ABC.


	21. Chapter 17: Homecoming?

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 17: Homecoming?

Takato

I can't believe we made it just in time. I turned and looked at our ride. "There she is, our one way ticket home," I said. The wind started blowing slightly. I turned, and then it went bad! A dust storm started, and I had to cover my eyes. "I hope it doesn't blow our ark away," Guilmon groaned. Sure enough, the arc went right into a mountain side a few feet away . "Aww nuts!" I said to myself. Suzie tried to cover herself from the dust storm and Henry picked her, Terriermon, and Lopmon up. He put them inside. "Everyone hurry up and get on!" he called. The non-Japanese Tamers heard him and went in quickly. I stared at Jeri, who was staring blankly.

* * *

Greg

One thing I've noticed about digital transport here is that it's not built for comfort. It's built for functionality, and that's just what this thing was built for. Veemon and I didn't waste any time getting in. Neither did Anya, Ed, and their Digimon. "Let's go! The ark could leave any minute!" Henry called. More Tamers and Digimon piled in. Soon, it was like riding in the back of a storage trailer. It seemed like everyone was in except Takato, Ryo and Cyberdramon. "But wait! There's still no sign of Rika!" Takato shouted back. "Takato, get on!" Guilmon said. "In a minute," Takato stalled. "Then I'm coming down," the dinosaur decided. "No!" Takato sharply answered. Henry helped Ryo get on. I'd been in there for only 2 minutes and already I was cramping up.

* * *

Rika

We were on the chase. I finally suggested that Renamon digivolve into Kyubimon, so she did. Now, it was a race against time. We were losing. "Impmon was right...we are out of our teeny, tiny minds," Kyubimon grumbled. "We'll make it," I said, halfway trying to convince myself. "Not at the rate I'm crawling along. I need more strength!" She jumped into the air as I reached for the deck box on my belt. Without looking, I drew a card and looked at it. Hyperspeed. Perfect! I smiled. "I have just the pick-me-up," I said. "Alright!" Kyubimon cheered. I unclipped my D-Arc and made it happen. "Digi-Modify! Hyperspeed Activate!" That should do it.

* * *

Greg

When you share a confined space with a lot of people and Digimon, you tend to notice several things. I had my back up against the wall by the window, with Veemon next to me. Jeri was right up front staring intently at nothing and moving the mouth of her hand puppet. Kazu and Kenta were in the back with Guardromon. Suzie and the two terrier-type Digimon were up closer to the opening. Calumon hopped around Jeri's back. "Hello? Hey Jeri, what's the matter? Oh, why won't you say anything to me, huh?" The poor kid. She looked so depressed. I tried to get a good look at her. Her eyes were blank, but her eyelids made her look somewhat angry. But then, I felt the arc move. "We're moving! We're moving!" Suzie shouted. "Huh?" we all asked at the same time. "Hurry Takato!" Guilmon shouted. I rushed to get a view of the situation. From what I could see, Takato started running. "But they're not here yet!" he shouted back. Ryo quickly got on Cyberdramon as the two flew off to find Rika. "We'll be back before ya know it!" he called as his voice faded into the wind. I just shook my head. Takato tripped and fell. "Oh no! Takato!" Guilmon groaned. "How do we stop this thing?" Lalamon asked. Guilmon had an idea. He pleaded with it. "Ark! Come on stop! Ark, please! Takato's not on yet! We can't leave! Stop it!" Ed and I searched for some sort of controls. No luck.

We tried everything to get Takato back up on the ark. It got to where Henry, Guilmon, Terriermon, Lopmon, and Calumon had to create a chain to get him on. "It's working!" Takato said. I stayed back, not wanting to fall off. Unfortunately, the next thing I heard was our gogglehead and Calumon letting out a scream that faded. Believe me, it was a pitiful sight. Guilmon went back to pleading with our vessel. "Ark! You gotta stop! Please! Listen to me! STOP!" Sure enough, it did. It took Takato a few seconds to figure it out. "Hey look it stopped. But why?" he asked. I got closer and shouted to him. "Because your Digimon begged it to, bro!" "Yeah, but how long will it hold?" Coronamon asked. "As long as it takes... I hope," Veemon said. "That's all we have, Veemon," I agreed.

However, it looked like Guilmon's prayers might be answered further because we heard someone. "Hey! Wait for us! Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!" "Could it be?" Terriermon asked. It was! Rika and Ryo made it back with their Digimon, and just in time too! Rika picked up Takato and dropped him on Kyubimon's back as they flew into the ark, crashing into us. Of course, before they crashed, the ark reverted Rika's Champion back into Rookie. Ryo and Cyberdramon flew in as well, where the Digimon was de-digivolved into its Rookie form. At least, I think it was. "Ah..." we all groaned. I found myself sandwiched between Veemon and Coronamon. Coronamon's fiery tail got too close to my stomach. "WHOA!" I jumped up and landed on top of Rika and Terriermon. Thankfully, the ark's opening closed up as we got on our way.

Kazu spotted something Rika was holding in her arms. "Rika, are you out of your chicken fried mind? You went back to save Impmon?" he asked in disgust. Rika nodded. "Um, Kazu... why is that a bad thing?" I asked. Kazu facepalmed. "Dude! That Digimon she's holding is the Rookie form of the Digimon that tried to kill us!" "What?!" Anya asked in outrage. The rest of us shook our heads. Kazu closed his eyes and put his hands behind his head. "Well, I've said it before and I'll say it again. You're crazier than catfish." Kenta got up from the floor and rubbed his head. Guardromon copied his Tamer. "Crrrrazier than catfish!" he remarked. Kazu looked up, annoyed. "Hm? Hey, come up with your own line!" Just then, we heard something. Veemon and I looked for the sound. It came from Kenta's pocket and lit up as it was pushed out. It turned out to be one thing and one Digimon. "A Digivice!" Kenta gasped. The Digimon spoke up. "Well, hello, hello!" it saluted. Kenta's face lit up like a storefront display. You'd think he'd discovered the Holy Grail. "MarineAngemon, I get it. You're my Tamer- I mean my partner! Ha ha ha! And you're a Mega! That makes me a Tamer to a Mega! Oh, I think I'm gonna faint." And faint he did. "Aww man, that means you won't get to Biomerge," I said. "Maybe he doesn't want to Biomerge," Takato suggested. Veemon just shook his head. "Now that doesn't make any sense. I mean, after what we saw you and the others do, who wouldn't want to Biomerge?" he asked.

* * *

Impmon

I don't get it. Why's dat girl taking me home with the others? She shoulda left me...after what I did. I don't deserve to be here. Don't they know that?

* * *

Greg

"I believe I have a theory as to why Kenta got a Mega Digimon for a partner," Anya announced. We gathered around to listen. "If what Takato and the others say is true, Kenta has been exposed to Digimon for a long time, yet has never had a partner of his own. It could be that fate wants him to have MarineAngemon because there will not be much for him to do if another battle arises." "Hey! Are you saying that I'm not gonna fight?" Kenta demanded to know. "Let me put it this way. This must be the equivalent of Cody and T.K.'s DNA Digivolution," I answered. "If you mean Iori and Takeru, then you're crazy. Come on. Shakkoumon could shoot laser beams out of his eyes," Kazu argued. "We shouldn't be disrespecting any Digimon, or any Tamer either," Coronamon said. Veemon and I shrugged. "We weren't disrespecting anyone," I answered. "At least, I hope we weren't."

We were going along at a pretty good pace, but then the ark stopped. "Why do I get the feeling this isn't just turbulence?" Kenta moaned. We looked out the window as the ark's siren turned on. "Um, it looks like the light track is disappearing. What does that mean, Takato?" Guilmon asked. "Huh? Well, I think it means we're in trouble!" he answered. Chaos bubbles floated up to our craft. "We're knee-deep in it!" The lights dimmed to red as Takato took out his PDA. "Huh? What now? We're hanging in the middle of nowhere. Ugh, what else could go wrong?" "Takato, I don't think we should be tempting fate," Anya suggested. Lopmon pried herself out of Suzie's grasp. "I think the ark has lost all of its strength," she said sadly. Tensions started to run high. Henry grimaced. "With the tracks gone the ark won't be able to find its way back home." Just then, Takato followed the advice of his Digimon. "Ark, can you hear me? **I know** you can hear me, please you've gotta help us. You're our only chance of getting out of here. Just a little further and we'll be home. Our parents are depending on you, please help us." From the red sphere in front of Takato, two cables came out and attached themselves to the com device. The screen printed out two letters, "OK". Takato breathed a welcome sigh of relief. "Thanks," he said. "I told you, it's a real good listener," Guilmon said. Just then, the ark started rattling again as we went further up. "Everybody hold onto something!" Henry shouted. So we did. Veemon grabbed onto me, and I grabbed onto Rika. The only problem was that Rika was already grabbing onto Ryo, and he wasn't too happy to be sharing her at the moment. So I grabbed onto the next best thing, Renamon. She wouldn't have it either, so I let go and tried to use my body as a shield around Veemon.

The arc got closer and closer to Earth as the light outside got brighter and brighter.

* * *

"The Border"

Written by Russ Ballard and Dewey Bunnell

Performed by America

Lead Vocal: Gerry Beckley

_Lead Singer:_

_**You must be lost in a faraway land  
I searched forever your footprints in the sand  
I feel you need me, I have to answer  
That desperate call that I do not understand  
**_

_**A burning bridge, a lonely highway  
Another dark night thinking alone  
What could've happened, am I just dreaming?  
It doesn't matter but there's one thing that I know  
**_

_America:**  
If I could make it to the border  
If I could make it to the coast  
If I could make it to the border  
I'd be in the arms of the girl I love the most**_

Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do  
Make it to the border

_This arrangement of the song skips to the instrumental bridge. Kazu pleads with the ark. "Hey ark! Dude, you get us outta this and I will hand wash you every day of the week! Vacuum your insides, you name it!" "MarineAngemon, I'll miss you," Kenta says, thinking the worst. From the front window a blinding light makes the Tamers and their Digimon cover their eyes. _

_America:_

_**If I could make it to the border  
If I could make it to the coast  
If I could make it to the border  
I'd be in the arms of the girl I love the most**_

_In the Real World everything's calm in Shinjuku Park until the ark starts to come out of the pond. Yamaki's men and the Japanese Tamers' parents are driving to the park. A bright light beam shoots out of the pond and the cars stop in front of the sidewalk and everyone gets out. _

_****America:**  
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do  
Make it to the border  
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do  
Make it to the border  
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do  
Make it to the border  
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do  
Make it to the border ... **_

_The parents and Yamaki's agents all run to the pond in time to see the ark come through._

Greg

The door opened and we walked out into the bright light. I didn't know whether the surface was liquid or solid at first. It really didn't matter. We were back on Earth, wherever it was. As the lights dimmed, we looked around. All of these people were looking at us. It was like being on the red carpet at a movie premiere. The Japanese Tamers were awestruck, just glad to be back. Suzie waved while nearly suffocating Lopmon. Kazu raised the brim of his visor and looked at people I assume were his parents. Kenta cried, and Ryo gave a thumbs up. Then, they started running toward them. It was hugs all around, just one big bundle of happiness and relief. Well, except for Kazu. Kazu's dad pushed down his head. Guardromon became scared of him. All the while, I looked for my parents. I had given Takato their e-mail address, they should've been here. "Mom? Dad?" I called. I kept searching for a familiar face. I couldn't find them. "...They're not here," I told Veemon.

Anya

I went on the search for my parents. I was a stranger in a strange land. Surely, they would make themselves known here. I searched the crowd thoroughly, twice even. There was no sign of them.

Ed

I looked for my parents. My mother would probably show up, but not my father. He's also my manager. I kept fooling around with something in my pocket, a little token of the Digital World. You see, when the Chaos splattered, little strange-colored pebbles fell by Jeri's and my feet. I picked it up and had kept it. I thought it would make a nice souvenir.

Greg

It was colder for some strange reason. "Whoa, s-s-ssomeone turned off the sun," I said as I shivered. It seemed everyone was wearing winter coats. I made my way back to Henry and Suzie, who were wrapped in blankets and sipping something out of mugs. A woman saw me and quickly wrapped Veemon and I in blankets of our own. She took us back to join them and gave each of us a mug. I took a sip, and I found out it was hot cocoa. "Um... thank you," I said. I took another sip. Man, that was good. "So, does it usually get this cold in September?" I asked. An older man answered in English as I took another sip. "No, but this isn't September. This is January." Oh, that explained it. Wait... January? I spit out my drink. "JANUARY!?" The woman asked the man something in Japanese. Henry introduced me to them. "Oh, by the way, Greg, these are my parents. Janyu and Mayumi Wong. Mom, Dad, this is Greg Logan from Texas and his partner Veemon." "Oh, um... nice to meet you both," I said, still trying to figure out how it could be January. "How is it January? Scout camp is the second week of July... so..." "You've been gone for nearly 6 months," Henry concluded. "But I thought time slowed down in the Digital World," I attempted to reason.

Another woman came in and spoke to a man wearing sunglasses. "I just found Jeri's parents, they're staying with relatives in East Matsumoto," she said. "So when will they be here?" the man asked. "That's the thing, they won't. You see, her father said she left on her own so she could come back on her own. We could send one of our operatives to take her there, but to be alone...the poor thing." Takato decided he would take her home. I approached the woman. "Excuse me, do you have any information on a Gregory Logan? That would be me," I said. "Oh? You're the American? Oh yes... your parents are still in Texas. We sent them an update as soon as we could. They said they had family obligations. Apparently, your father's great-uncle died in Mobile, Alabama, America. They're glad you're alive." Ed and Anya reported to her as well. "What about my parents in Mordovia?" Anya asked. "You're Anya, right? Well, they're tied up as well." She looked to Ed. "And what about mine?" Ed asked. "Ed Jordan-Phillips? We were able to contact your manager. He says you've been replaced on _Harmony Street_, but you could come in mid-season. Whatever that means." "Great. Great!" Ed threw up his hands in defeat.

The man with the sunglasses approached me. "You must be the American. My name's Yamaki," he said. We shook hands. "Greg Logan. Nice to meet you, Mr. Yamaki. This is Veemon," I said. Yamaki shook hands with him too. "Yeah, Takato told me about you and Anya and Ed. You came completely out of left field, as they say. I'm afraid we'll have to take you 6 downtown for some questions." He took out a lighter and snapped it open and shut. "Why? What'd we do?" Veemon asked. "Oh, it's standard procedure. Bunch of red tape if you ask me. We just want to make sure you're in this country for the right reasons." He paused. "I know, I know. You're not planning on staying in Japan for a long time. Under different circumstances, we'd like you to stay for a while. Japan's really a nice country once you get to know it." I just nodded.

Very interesting, yes?


	22. MusicBreak 5: I'd Lie for You

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Music Break #5

"I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth) "

Written by Diane Warren

Performed by Ryo Akiyama [Steve Staley] with Rika Nonaka [Melissa Fahn]

* * *

_The dream begins with a packed house at the recently opened Shibuya-AX. A giant sign is posted outside that reads "Digital Star Search: Duets Night" in kanji. The studio is filled to the brim with people and Digimon alike. Currently up on stage are Takeru "T.K." Takaishi and Kari Kamiya, performing a rousing and awe-inspiring rendition of Celine Dion and R. Kelly's "I'm Your Angel" (by this point, they're in the final series of choruses). This is the kind of performance that screams "We hold the Crests of Hope and Light, and we are not ashamed!" If you've ever seen the BYU Young Ambassadors on stage, you know what I mean. The song ends as the two bow. _

_They head backstage where they run into Rika and Ryo. "Ya know, that song choice was so predictable," Rika says. T.K., who is inclined to agree with her, points to Kari. "It was her idea," he says flatly. The two walk away discussing it. _

_A few minutes later, the lights are down as a guitar is strummed. The lights slowly go up as we see Guilmon play the piano introduction on a baby grand. The backup singers (in this case, Anya, Ed, Renamon, and Coronamon) get in position. Veemon is sitting by the drums. Various other characters are standing by with guitars and other instruments, including Yamato "Matt" Ishida. Standing at one side of the stage far left is Ryo, sporting a casual suit. On the other side is Rika, wearing her standard wardrobe and leather jacket. Ryo walks out on stage with his mic._

_Ryo:_

_**I'd never tell you one lie, I'd never let you down  
I'd never leave, I'd be the one who'd always be around **_

_Rika comes in from stage right. _

_Rika:_

_**Baby give me a chance** _

_Meanwhile, Henry, Suzie, Jeri, Kenta, and their Digimon are just arriving at the concert hall. They're late, so the majority of this music break will be their attempts to get in, mixed with concert footage._

_Ryo:_

_**I'd pull the sun out from the sky to light your darkest night  
I wouldn't let one drop of rain fall down into your life **_

_The two head toward each other in the center of the stage._

_Rika:_

_**Put your heart in my hands **_

_Ryo:_

_**Baby believe me, I could never do you wrong  
And I would never paint your world blue**_

_Henry pulls out some money, but the man at the ticket counter shakes his head. He points to a sign in kanji that translates to "Sold Out" in English._

_Ryo:  
**And if sometimes it seems I must have lost my mind****  
****I might be crazy but I'm crazy about you...** _

_Ryo/Rika:_

_**I'd lie for you and that's the truth **_

_A number of silver fountains* go off. _

_Ryo/Rika:_

_**Do anything you ask me to  
I'd even sell my soul for you  
I'd do it all for you  
If you'd just believe in me **_

_Suzie and Lopmon try to play the cute ploy, but it's not working. Jeri just stands there with a blank stare. _

_Ryo:_

_J**ust take a look in my eyes, you'll see a love that's blind****  
****Just take a hold of my hand, I'll take you to paradise**_

_Rika/Renamon:_

_**Ain't a star that's too far **_

_The two move around the stage pretty normally, as far as stage direction goes._

_Ryo/Backups:_

_**Your every wish will be a wish that I will make come true  
And if you want the moon I swear I'll bring it down for you **_

_Henry and Terriermon check around the back toward the stage entrance._

_Rika/Renamon:_

_**Let me into your heart **_

_Rika switches her mic hand and walks along the stage._

_Rika:_

_**Believe me baby got your name carved on my soul  
'Cause you're the only one that I'll give it to **_

_Ryo goes to join her._

_Ryo:_

_**Go let 'em say that I'm a fool to act this way  
'Cause if I'm crazy, I'm just crazy 'bout you... **_

_Ryo/Rika:_

_**I'd lie for you and that's the truth  
Do anything you ask me to  
I'd even sell my soul for you  
I'd do it all for you  
If you'd just believe in me **_

_Henry directs the others in his group to the back entrance as they try to sneak in. Unfortunately, the head security guard (Meat Loaf) forcefully ejects them. _

_Ryo/Rika:_

_**I'd lie for you and that's the truth****  
****Move mountains if you want me to****  
****I'd walk across the fire for you****  
****I'd walk on the wire for you****  
****If you'd just believe in me...**  
_

_Rika:_

_**And you will never see a day I'll ever break your heart  
You'll see the sky fall down before it ever gets that far **_

_Ryo/Rika:_

_**I'll show you heaven every second that you're in my arms  
Baby I'm crazy, but I'm crazy about you! **_

_The instrumental bridge starts as Matt breaks into a guitar solo. Ryo and Rika "dance" somewhat around the stage. The audience is getting worked up. Kenta sneaks inside the front._

_Ryo/Rika:_

_**I'd lie for you and that's the truth  
Move mountains if you want me to  
I'd walk across the fire for you  
I'd walk on the wire for you  
If you'd just believe in me... **_

_The music calms down a bit in what appears to be the "eye" of this storm of a song. Kenta comes out to the back entrance and looks excited about something. He directs them to come in the front._

_Ryo:_

_**I'd walk across the wire for you **_

_Rika:_

_**Move mountains if you want me to **_

_Ryo:_

_**I'd walk across the fire for you **_

_The two are getting closer together after having separated themselves. The lights slowly dim so there's a spotlight on the two of them. _

_Rika:_

_**Do anything you ask me to **_

_They turn and stare into each others' eyes just as the other Tamers come in the audience wearing concession boxes, selling popcorn, peanuts, etc._

_Ryo/Rika:_

_**I'd lie for you...**_

_They can see Henry and company from the corners of their eyes. Veemon pounds on the drums as a pair of red atomic flash trays* and another silver fountain go off. The two are stunned to see the others but continue anyway._

_Ryo/Rika:_

_**...and that's the truth  
Do anything you ask me to  
I'd even sell my soul for you  
I'd do it all for you  
If you'd just believe in me**  
_

_The Tamers-turned-vendors hardly have any time to enjoy the show as there's a rush for snacks. Apparently, this is the part of the song that makes people hungry. Some of the guests include international DigiDestined from Season 2/Adventure 02 along with the Season 2/Adventure 02 Digidestined and their Digimon (minus TK and Kari)._

_Ryo/Rika:  
**I'd lie for you and that's the truth  
Move mountains if you want me to  
I'd walk across the fire for you  
I'd walk on the wire for you  
If you'd just believe in me...**  
_

_The music calms down again until there's only one piano left._

_Ryo:_

_**I'd lie for you and that's the truth **_

_The audience goes wild as the music ends. Ryo, Rika, and everyone bow to the audience. _

Red atomic flash trays and silver fountains are stage pyrotechnics.

Originally, I had paired Rika and Greg together for this song. However, it probably would not make sense for them to be together. Plus, I don't think Doug Erholtz can pull off two performances back to back as different people.


	23. Chapter 18: Digital Dragnet

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 18: Digital Dragnet

_The story you are about to read is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent._

Yamaki

This is the city. Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. It's home to the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo. A lot of things come in and out of this town. They can enter by train... by bus... by car. Sometimes even on foot. Yet 8 months and 12 days ago, some things entered the city though fogbanks. I investigated them. I carry a lighter. It was Sunday, January 13th, 2002. It was cold in Shinjuku. We were working the Hypnos division. My partner's name is Riley Ootori, the boss is the Chief Cabinet Secretary. My name's Yamaki.

When these "Wild Ones" first came to our fair city, I was on them like a cheetah who hadn't eaten in 3 days. It seems these Digital Monsters, or "Digimon", could be manipulated via a device known as a D-Arc and cards from a children's card game. It also seemed there was a group of kids who were partnered with Digimon for purposes unknown. I managed to track down and identify two of them. The first was Takato Matsuki, age 12. The second was Henry Wong, alias Jianliang Lee; also age 12. Soon, I met the third. Her name was Rika Nonaka, alias Ruki Makino; also age 12. I followed them for several months until an incident caused the building to be consumed by an explosion.

The "Tamers", as they referred to themselves, left for the Digital World on September 16, 2001. I had given Takato, their leader, my personal PDA. We had received contact from them on November 4th of the same year. Now they were back, and I was glad. However, 3 new "Tamers" from outside Japan had entered the picture. It was my job to discover their intentions.

8:45 PM. We decided to take the girl first. She was of Russian-Eastern European heritage and was accompanied by a Digimon that had the appearance of a flower bud. "This ought to be interesting," I thought.

* * *

Anya

I have discovered something in this journey. The Japanese are just as decadent as the Americans, if not more so. Greg, Ed, our Digimon, and I were taken to what is known as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Lalamon and I were escorted to an interrogation room. We were seated on one side of the table, while a man and a woman were seated on the other. They started speaking in Japanese. I waited for a pause, then decided to address them in my own language. "Простите. Можем ли мы пожалуйста проведения этого интервью на английском языке? Я думаю, что может быть проще для всех нас, потому что я не знаю японский, [Excuse me. May we please conduct this interview in English? I think it might be easier for all of us because I do not know Japanese.]" I said. The woman wrote something down.

"All right," she said. "First, what's your name?" "Anya Rădulescu," I answered. "Age?" "11 years old." "Birthplace?" "Moldova." "What brought you into this country?" "A digital transport device shaped like one of these," I answered, showing them my D-Arc. "That's right," Lalamon chimed in. The man turned to her. "Aha! What's your name?" "Lalamon." "Age?" "How should I know?" "Birthplace?" "Digital World." "What brought you into this country?" "A digital transport device." "What are you two planning on doing here?" "Nothing illegal, I hope. Anya may be very intelligent for her years, but she's still a kid." "That is right!" I added.

After a few more questions, they let us go.

* * *

Yamaki

9 PM. The Moldovan girl was clean. Next, it was time for the American boy. He had brown hair, glasses, and was slightly overweight but could hold his gut in well. Strange. His partner was a 2-foot tall humanoid lizard-like Digimon with blue and white skin. He was identified by one of our operatives as Veemon, the main protagonist's Digimon in _Digimon Adventure 02._

* * *

Greg

"Name?" "Greg Logan." "Full name?" I sighed. "Gregory Thomas Logan." "Age?" "12." "Birthplace?" "Macon, Georgia, the U.S. of A." "How did you get into this country?" "A digital transport device shaped like my D-Arc," I said as I put my D-Arc on the table. Now I had seen a few cop shows in my day. I knew how this worked in the States. I just hoped it would work here. I was sweating bullets, but you never sweat bullets in front of cops. "You didn't read me my rights," I claimed. The female officer rolled her eyes and said something to the male officer in Japanese. I turned to Veemon. "Hey Veemon... can you pick up what they're saying?" I whispered to him. He nodded his head and started listening. "Oh, it doesn't look good for you. 'Rights? What's he talking about?' 'He means the Miranda rights. The American fool, he doesn't know that we don't have those rights here. I'm gonna teach him a lesson,'" he whispered back. "Teach me a lesson?" I gulped. So, Veemon did something he never did before. He ranted in Japanese. "今ちょうど数分待つ！グレッグは何も悪いことしてませんでした！彼はちょうどここに現れて、あなたは犯罪者のように彼を扱っている。からかってるの？*" "Veemon!" I covered his mouth. "Do you want us to get arrested?" I growled through clenched teeth. The officers didn't know what to say, so I uncovered my partner's mouth and attempted to regain my composure with a smile. "Tell you what. Why don't I read my own rights? I have the right to remain silent. Anything I say can and will be used against me in a court of law. I have the right to an attorney. If I cannot afford one, then one will be appointed to me by the court free of charge... I hope." The male officer just looked at us with a wicked smile. "Then why don't you take your own advice?" I shook my head and I did.

Next it was Veemon's turn. The female officer didn't take much time with him. That's how the police usually are. "Name?" "Veemon." "Age?" "Who's asking?" "I am." "Well I don't know how old I am." "When were you born?" "A couple of months ago, I guess. Greg scanned da card and out I came." "Where'd you pick up the Naniwa-ku dialect?" "I don't know." "You know, you're strange... for a Digimon." "And I bet your mother had a loud bark." The female officer gave him a thousand-yard stare, whatever that is. I scratched my head. "I don't know, ma'am. Did your mother ever bark?" I asked. She wrote something else down.

* * *

Yamaki

9:10 PM. It seems Veemon was bilingual. He was capable of using both a New York dialect when speaking in English and a dialect from Naniwa-ku when speaking in Japanese. After I informed Veemon of what he had just said, he apologized profusely. Greg apologized as well. The session went by much more smoothly after that.

9:20 PM. We finally took the South African boy. He was dressed in a style reminiscent of the 1940s and had one distinguishing choice of headwear. It was a raspberry beret, the kind you find in a second-hand store. We made sure to ask him about it.

* * *

Ed

The male officer started with me. "Name?" "Ed Jordan-Phillips." "Birthplace?" "Cape Town, South Africa." "Age?" "12." "What are you planning on doing in this country?" "I don't know. Maybe I'll figure out a way to get home. My career's on the line." "You have a career?" "Yes. I'm one of the stars of _Harmony Street." _I sang a few bars of the theme song just to prove it to them. "Very interesting," the female officer noted. She wrote something down. "That's an interesting choice of a hat. Where'd you get it?" "A fan gave it to me. I'm glad you like it." "How'd you get in this country?" "You might want to ask Takato about that. It was seemingly his idea," I said. "Who's Takato?" the female officer asked. "Takato Matsuki, the leader of the Tamers," the male officer said. "And where is he now?" she asked again. I shrugged. "Didn't he say he was going to take Jeri home?" Coronamon asked.

* * *

Yamaki

9:30 PM. I knew what Ed had said was true. After all, I approved the ark. The rest of the interrogation went smoothly. It seemed the fiery lion-esque Digimon known as Coronamon was correct. Riley had informed me an hour earlier that Jeri's family had evacuated to East Matsumoto, and Takato was escorting her home via train. I decided we should check up on them to see how they were doing. I released the 3 foreign Tamers and their Digimon into the custody of Janyu Wong and took the next possible train with Riley.

12:45 AM. We took the Azusa but by the time we arrived, Takato and the Digimon known as Guilmon were absent. There were reports of strange sightings of red, formless matter along the evacuated Shinjuku area. "Curses!" I muttered to Riley. We took the next train back. I knew one thing was clear. All I could now was put my faith in these kids and do whatever I could to help them.

* * *

* "Now wait just a minute! Greg didn't do anything wrong! He just showed up here and you're treating him like a criminal. Are you kidding?"

(Veemon's Japanese Voice provided by Junko Noda)


	24. Chapter 19: High Anxiety

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 19: High Anxiety

Greg

That night, they went and split us up. Ed and Coronamon took the next train to Matsumoto. Veemon and I went with the Wongs, and Anya and Lalamon took the next train to Yokohama. We stopped at a local 24-hour department store downtown, one of the last few that were open this time of night. Would you believe that 2 tubes of Colgate toothpaste cost 792.90 yen? As I learned, that only translated to 6 bucks in American money. 2 toothbrushes also cost ¥792.90. A stick of the leading antiperspirant was ¥330.38. We didn't buy shampoo, they had plenty. Mrs. Wong also let me pick out a set of clothes for myself and paid for it. Thankfully, Japanese clothing sizes aren't too different from American clothing sizes. I'm surprised the Wongs were willing to do so much for Veemon and me, and to this day, I'm grateful to them. There was no possible way I could then, or can now, pay them back.

As it turns out, we didn't stay at the Wong residence. Instead, we stayed at the home of Henry's Tai Chi instructor. We never figured out his name. Everyone kept calling him "Sensei". By the time we got to his house, it was 10 PM. I learned this from a clock radio kept on a bookcase in Sensei's house. That hot cocoa was good, but not good enough. Luckily, Mrs. Wong knew how to cook, so Veemon and I hung around the kitchen. She noticed. "Just a moment... we can't eat until you two have taken a bath," she insisted. "A bath?" we asked. She nodded, so off we went. You don't argue with a woman who just spent ¥25,000 on you just because your family was clear up in Alabama. She gave Henry a pair of ¥2000 bills and a carrier for our necessaries. I was a bit skeptical, but Henry and Suzie insisted that I go there wearing nothing more than a bathrobe and slippers. "It's late so the three of us will probably have the whole place to ourselves," Henry noted.

"Ya know, this stinks. We've had nearly nothing for the past few days and now we gotta take a bath," I griped to Veemon. "I know, but just be glad you made it here in da first place," he answered. Henry piped in. "Besides, we probably could use this to relax all that tension we've been building up." "Eh, I guess you're right," I said. We made it into the bath house, and sure enough it was somewhat empty. An elderly lady sat there at the desk as the attendant. We paid our money and then went in separate ways. Suzie went toward a red curtain, the rest of us went toward a blue.

When we went inside, there were lockers. That began my crash course in Japanese bathing. Thankfully, Terriermon explained the whole thing. First, you have to wash yourself and get yourself clean _before _entering the bath. We each got a washcloth and went into the bathing area. There were also larger bath towels, but those cost ¥250 extra. No dice. Inside the bathing area, I went to work giving myself a thorough scrubbing down. Shampoo, soap, the works. All they had was a faucet, a bucket, and a brush. So, I made the most of it. I started wishing I was a Digimon. At least they were naked all the time.

Finally, we could enter the bathtub. I put my foot in and winced. It was too hot, but I knew we couldn't eat until we had taken a bath, so I slowly got in. Veemon slowly got in as well. Henry and Terriermon were in the next tub to my left, and Suzie and Lopmon were to my right.

"Hey, Henry?" I called to him. "Yeah?" he answered. "Why is it that these hot tubs are so hot?" "Well, Greg, it's because we don't have any central heating. At least Sensei's house doesn't. This is how we Japanese stay warm through the cold nights." "That's weird." "Yeah, I know. You only say that because you're an American. If you had lived here for a while, you'd have gotten used to it." "Yeah... you know, I just want to thank you and your family again for taking Veemon and me in like this on such short notice." "Yeah, thanks," Veemon added. "You two are welcome, I guess," Henry answered.

The conversation drifted for about 15 minutes. After we'd been boiled enough, I got out, got myself dressed, and we rushed back to Sensei's place. After sitting in a hot tub for 15 minutes, the cold air was definitely a sensory experience. When we got home, a full Japanese dinner was ready. I said grace, everyone else said "Itadakimasu".* It seems that the same etiquette I had seen at the hut Kazu, Kenta, and Rika was the same here. And as they say, "When in Japan, do as the Japanese do." So I did. It was great. After living off of meat apples and bad ramen, this was heaven.

Later, around midnight, we finally got situated. Veemon and I shared what was known as a "futon" on a hard floor. Surprisingly, I was out like a burnt out light bulb within minutes. This Sensei sure knew how to live.

I finally got a good look at my new winter wardrobe. Now I'm not one to get excited over clothes, not in the least. I think I made a good choice though. First, a pair of long cargo pants and my Scout belt. Finally, I had room for my cards. Then, I put on the base black T-shirt and put on a green and yellow long-sleeve-shirt over that. I nearly went for the blue and yellow, but that would have been too obvious. I usually don't like layering shirts, but it was winter. Then came a red vest, a pair of gloves, and the piece de resistance... the hat. I didn't go for a bucket hat. That didn't look too warm for my head. So, I got a red stocking cap instead. I may look like a dork, but at least it was warmer than the bucket hat.

Veemon and I met Henry's older brother Rinchi. He was an alright guy, but I think he had some trouble buying what had happened to us. Then, I met the oldest Wong daughter Jaarin. Typical Japanese teenage girl, kind of looked like Kari. She was OK too.

In the meantime, Veemon and I tried taking up some of what Henry was learning out of sheer boredom. It was hard, and after a while, it got tiring. I had to give him credit. No wonder he got a mecha for a Mega form.

* * *

Rika

So Anya and Lalamon stayed with Renamon, my mom, my grandma, and me in a hotel room in Yokohama. It gave us a chance to bond a little. Anya seemed to hit it off with my mom and grandma. "Honestly Rumiko, they won't be setting up any photo shoots with all that's going on," Grandma said. Mom hung up her cell phone and looked like she was about to pull her hair out. "Don't you think I know that?" she asked. "Sorry I just need to take my mind off all this." Lalamon sang a song. I don't know the words to it exactly, but it was soothing. It felt like a Swedish massage for the ears and the mind. I've had a few Swedish massages in my day, so I know what I'm talking about.

Later on, we were watching TV. The D-Reaper followed us home and the military got involved. They were surrounding West Shinjuku. The place was a war zone, and it was all over the news. "The military is confident but even they acknowledge that they don't know what they're up against," the anchor reported. We just looked on. "This isn't something that can be fought with guns. They'll be crushed," Renamon said.

* * *

Takato

It was weird. Jeri was all spaced out, reading the nutritional information on a bento box. That was all I had heard from her in the last day or so. She was just quiet, and I didn't know why. Heh heh, this sounds silly, but I've been developing a crush on her. I mean, what am I supposed to know about love? All I know was that I've been trying to protect her. I've been trying to protect everyone, especially since I first Biomerged with Guilmon. I can't help but think about it. It was so... amazing. I could feel Guilmon's warmth and strength surrounding me, giving me energy and power. I felt safe in that little bubble. More importantly, it kinda awakened something in me. Something I never knew I had. I wondered if Henry and Rika felt the same way I did their first time.

* * *

Itadakimasu- (いただきます) (literally, "I humbly receive")- The phrase is similar to "bon appétit", or saying grace to give thanks before a meal. It is said to express gratitude for all who played a role in preparing, cultivating, ranching or hunting the food.


	25. MusicBreak 6: Pressure

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Music Break #6

"Pressure"

Written by Billy Joel

Performed by Henry Wong [Dave Wittenberg]

* * *

_The music video starts late at night, with Greg turning on the TV at the house of Henry's sensei. He does some channel surfing until he stops at a screen with an open window. As the music starts, he's sucked into the TV, seemingly against his will. This video will be a journey through TV. His first stop has him dressed as Yoh Asakura with Henry dressed as Tao Ren. Greg is struggling to get Veemon into a spirit ball. Henry taunts him and seemingly masters the Spirit Integration technique, sticking the spirit of Terriermon into his heart._

_Henry:_

_**You have to learn to pace yourself  
Pressure  
You're just like everybody else  
Pressure**_

_**You've only had to run so far  
So good**_

_Luckily, Greg finds a remote as he changes the channel to an "original" episode of Digimon Tamers. He's dressed in Davis Motomiya's outfit and has Veemon digivolved to ExVeemon as Henry has Terriermon digivolved to Gargomon. They're fighting in an empty indoor parking lot. Gargomon sticks his loaded guns in Greg's face at the appropriate line._

_Henry:_

_**But you will come to a place  
Where the only thing you feel  
Are loaded guns in your face  
And you'll have to deal with  
Pressure  
**_

_The fight progresses as ExVeemon punches out Gargomon. Greg takes out his remote and changes the channel again just as Gargomon shoots him down. This time, he's on Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!* and is participating in a Batsu (punishment) Game in a haunted Japanese inn. Various "Oni"* are chasing after him as he runs for his life._

_Henry:_

_**You used to call me paranoid  
Pressure  
But even you can not avoid  
Pressure**_

_Greg trips on something and comes face to face with an "Oni" wearing a goofy mask. Greg nervously laughs, causing a "hangman" to spank him with a scimitar. He changes the channel to a talent show, where he is now tap dancing alone on stage._

_Henry:_

_**You turned the tap dance into your crusade  
Now here you are with your faith  
And your Peter Pan advice  
You have no scars on your face  
And you cannot handle pressure**_

_Greg quickly tires and changes the channel. Soon, he's thrust into a fictional Japanese version of The $64,000 Question entitled __圧力鍋__*, sponsored by the Rohto Pharmaceutical Company. Henry is acting as host. Greg is led into the isolation booth by Suzie. The booth quickly heats up. The camera zooms in on Greg's apparent category, Psychology. The camera goes back to Greg, who is not looking too happy at this point. _

_Henry:_

_**All grown up and no place to go  
Psych 1, Psych 2  
What do you know?  
All your life is Channel 13  
Sesame Street  
What does it mean?**_

_Henry faces Greg directly._

_Henry: [spoken]_

_**I'll tell you what it means**_

_[singing]_

_**Pressure**_

_Henry walks away as the lights dim. The internal thermometer goes up to 150°F._

_Henry:_

_**Pressure**_

_The amount he's playing for (¥2,108,800*) appears on the screen below a very uncomfortable Greg. Unlike most $64KQ contestants, he didn't bring anyone with him._

_Henry:_

_**Don't ask for help  
You're all alone  
Pressure  
You'll have to answer  
To your own  
Pressure**_

_**I'm sure you'll have some cosmic rationale**_

_As the thermometer goes up to 250°F, Greg takes the quickly deforming remote and changes the channel to a baseball game at Meiji Jingu Stadium in Shinjuku. It's the bottom of the ** 9**th inning, with 2 outs and all 3 bases loaded. This information appears in a typical chyron display. Henry is acting as play-by-play commentator. Greg, dressed in a Texas Ranger uniform, goes up to bat as Rapidmon, who is dressed in a Tokyo Yakult Swallow uniform, prepares to wind up the pitch._

_Henry:**  
But here you are in the ninth  
Two men out and three men on  
Nowhere to look but inside  
Where we all respond to  
Pressure**_

_Rapidmon winds up the pitch and fires a baseball out of his hand cannon. It goes by so fast, Greg picks up two strikes in 10 seconds. _

_Henry:_

_**Pressure**_

_The third one nearly hits him in the head as Greg goes for the remote and changes the channel. This time, he's on a rerun of Takeshi's Castle* and is in the Honeycomb Maze. He has to make his way through a blind maze made of hexagonal rooms, shaped as a honeycomb, whilst chased by henchmen who look suspiciously like the other Tamers. He finds the henchmen and attempts to put them on the run. All the while, Henry, dressed as General Tani*, is sitting back and reading a copy of Time Magazine translated into Japanese._

_Henry:_

_**All your life is Time Magazine  
I read it too  
What does it mean?**_

_Greg ultimately finds the wrong door and falls in the water. He grabs his remote and changes the channel. Now, he finds himself on MTV seated alone strapped to a chair. He watches various images rapidly go by, much like in the original Billy Joel video. Just then, a blown-up image of Henry's face appears on the screen shouting at him._

_Henry [shouting]:_

_**PRESSURE!**_

_[singing]_

_**I'm sure you'll have some cosmic rationale  
But here you are with your faith  
And your Peter Pan advice  
You have no scars on your face  
And you cannot handle pressure**_

_Greg desperately changes the channel as he finds himself in a war movie, running away from bombs deployed by MegaGargomon. _

_Henry:_

_**Pressure**_

_**Pressure**_

_Greg tries to change the channel again, but it seems the batteries are dead. An atomic warhead is aimed in his direction as he desperately tries to change the channel. It almost hits him._

_Henry:_

_**One, two, three, four  
Pressure **  
_

_The TV shuts off. Greg wakes up and sits up in bed. He's in a cold sweat. _

圧力鍋 translates to "Pressure Cooker". Rohto Pharmaceutical Company was known for sponsoring a number of Japanese game shows.

Oni are creatures from Japanese folklore, variously translated as demons, devils, ogres or trolls. They are popular characters in Japanese art, literature and theatre.

_Takeshi's Castle _is a Japanese game show that's well known internationally under various titles, including _MXC _in the United States.

¥2,108,800 is equivalent to $16,000 as of January 17, 2002. (source: )

General Tani is known as Captain Tenneal on _MXC_.

_Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende! (lit. "Downtown's 'This is no task for kids!'") _


	26. Chapter 20: A Tamer's Call of Duty

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 20: A Tamer's Call of Duty

Ed

You know, it's remarkable how your entire career can be seemingly ripped to shreds just because you've been on an involuntary vacation for 5 months. I guess you could say I was both relieved and terrified. My birth was the result of one of the biggest mergers in South African television. My father was and still is an actor-turned-manager and my mother is an actress and director. They married when my father found out my mother was pregnant. They later told me that they were so proud of me when I was born that they gave me both of their surnames. My entire life was spent in front of a camera. It's not easy to avoid the spotlight when everyone knows who and your parents are. That's why I'm glad I'm here in Japan, where no one knows me. Coronamon and I have to hide away from the spotlight.

"All Hachiouji passengers and transfers for the Yokohama Line disembark at the next stop. And if there are any passengers aboard with animals we ask that you remove them immediately." "Well, I guess that means us, Coronamon," I said. My partner looked disappointed. "Awww, and I was just getting used to the train too," he grumbled. We got off at the next stop and ran into Takato and Guilmon. Takato was on the phone with someone. "I'm sorry Mom, I love you but I have to do this!" He hung up. "That was your mum?" I asked. "Yeah," Takato answered. He directed us to follow him, so we did.

* * *

Greg

Henry, our Digimon, and I spent a good part of the next morning training. In a way, it played out like a Pokémon battle, except we didn't have Pokéballs with multiple Pokémon. All we had were our partners, our cards, and our D-Arcs. Suzie acted as referee. "In this corner, the challenger fwom Fwower Mound, Gweg! And in the other corner, the Gym Weader, Henwy! This is a one-on-one battle. Are you two weady?" she asked. It was kind of cute, actually. We both nodded and Suzie swung her hand down. The battle began. "OK, Veemon... don't underestimate the bunny, whatever you do," I called to him. "Right, Greg!" Veemon answered as he started running. As he was running, he swung both of its arms in circles, striking Terriermon. "Terrier Tornado!" Terriermon shouted as he spun his ears like a propeller. The two went at it. "You're not the only one who can spin, blue boy!" the rabbit-like Digimon taunted. Veemon didn't give in though. He countered with a Vee Headbutt and sent him into the wall. I drew a card, spun it around and scanned it through. "Digi-Modify! Heat Activate!" I called. At that point, Veemon's fist ignited. He roared and charged in for an attack. The punch hit! Just as it did, the fist was snuffed. Apparently, it was only good for one attack. "Not bad," Henry said, "but you still have a lot to learn." He drew a card, spun it, and scanned it. "Digi-Modify! Thor's Hammer Activate!" At that point, an ancient hammer appeared in Terriermon's hand. He threw it like a boomerang, but Veemon dodged it and picked it up on the rebound. My jaw dropped. "I didn't teach him that," I thought. The fight continued for about 15 minutes. Thinking it might do Veemon some good, I struck various poses of determination. I wasn't going to let my partner go down. Henry laughed at this. "So now you're trying to copy me, huh?" he asked. "Well, yeah!" I shot back. "It's not going to do you any good. My moves came from years of practice and training. You've got to have your own style. Stop trying to fool yourself and just **be** yourself," he said. Both Digimon dropped out of exhaustion. Suzie, who had been playing "Princess Pretty Pants" with Lopmon, finally took notice. "Both Digimon are tired. This is a dwaw!" she shouted. I walked to the center and helped Veemon to a chair. "Great job," I told him. Henry picked up Terriermon in his arms and carried him to the sofa.

We continued this discussion at lunch. "Henry, you probably don't know this, but you've been something of a role model for me in the Digital World," I said. "Oh I think he knows. I think he knows too well," Terriermon snarked. Suzie gave him one of those looks that shuts people up. "I know. Everybody comes to me. I'm the rational one, the calm one. For once, I'd just like to rely on someone else. I guess that's what I have Rinchi and Jaarin for. Why me?" Henry asked. "Well, to be honest, there are times when Takato doesn't know what he's doing as much as you do. I mean, he lost control of Guilmon. You've never lost control of your Digimon," I answered. "He's human, just as much as you are," he reasoned. "Yeah, but he wears the goggles. You don't," I answered. I took a sip of my water. "I'm telling you, Henry, you're more of a leader. And up until Leomon died, you were pretty much a rock. All I want to know is how do you do it?"

* * *

Henry

How do I handle pressure? How do I stay so calm? Those weren't easy questions Greg was asking, but he was asking them. My mind started racing. So, I told him the truth. I told him some old war stories of our Deva-hunting days before we left for the Digital World. He seemed interested.

Later on, I got a phone call from my dad. "Henry, I know you're gonna be sorely tempted, but so I don't lose all my hair, do me a favor and leave this to us, okay?" he asked. "Yeah, okay Dad," I answered. "Wait, did you just say okay?" he asked me. "Yeah, I did," I answered. Then I hung up and went to the couch where Greg and Veemon were watching a rerun of _Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger.*_ "So what'd your dad want?" Veemon asked. "Oh, the usual. He wants us to stay out of it. I told him I would," I replied. "You _what_?" Greg asked. "I told him I'd stay out of it. I'm sick of fighting. I've been doing it for months now. Fighting other Digimon isn't fun anymore." Greg had an incredulous look on his face. "Are you kidding me?" he asked. "No, I'm not. Let me tell you something, Greg. I'm tired. I'm tired of fighting. Deep down, I've always been a pacifist. One of the reasons I learn Tai Chi is to avoid fighting. I'm not all gung ho about it like you are. You've got your mons mixed up. Digimon aren't for battling. They're real beings, just like you and me. I used to be like you, thinking they were just fictional characters. But when I saw Terriermon hurt, I learned the hard truth. Thankfully, I got the chance to save him. I swore that I would never make him fight again. Of course, you can see where that promise ended up." I sighed. "Look, now that we're out of the Digital World, we should just let the army and my dad handle it. He created Digimon, remember?"

"Yeah, I think you told me that. Shame you guys never got any royalties. But let me ask you something. Do you really think a bunch of adults are going to fend off that blob successfully, knowing what it can do?" I had to think about that one. Greg continued. "Where were adults when Myotismon took over the city of Odiaba?" "Greg, that's a TV show! It's fiction! It's not real! This is real!" I turned the channel to the news. "This is real," I said. "Does your dad have a D-Arc or a Digimon?" Greg asked back. "Um, no..." "Exactly. And even if he did create Digimon, do you think he'd know what to do with the ones we have?" "Now wait just a minute! My dad's not an idiot." "I never said he was, Henry. I'm just saying that he wouldn't know what to do with a Digimon or a Digivice. My dad wouldn't either. That's why I'll have a hard time breaking it to my folks when all this is over. There's a reason why you don't see full-grown adults taming Digimon. They wouldn't know what to do with them. We pick this kind of thing up naturally. We brought this mess with us, so we should take care of it." "Fine! Go ahead and get killed for all I care. Go have your _fun_ with the others, just leave Terriermon and me out of it!" I picked up Terriermon and we went to our room.

* * *

Rika

We stayed in Yokohama and mostly watched the news. The D-Reaper was taking over everything in sight. I couldn't stand it anymore. "That's it, we've gotta do something. Come on, Renamon," I said. Renamon and I got up and started to leave, but my mom stopped me at the door. Anya and Lalamon followed us. "You two are going out there, aren't you?" my mom asked. I sighed. "Mom..." Here we go again. I can recite the whole story from memory. "You know, back when I got married everyone tried to tell me I was too young. But I didn't listen. Turns out my daughter is as stubborn I was. You should be allowed to make your own decisions." "Huh?" I asked. She walked toward me with a bag. "If you are going out there maybe you could wear this for me," she said. She handed her the bag and I pulled out a shirt with a full heart instead of my usual broken one. "Oh, how cute!" Anya remarked. I was floored. Then, Mom opened her jacket to reveal a matching shirt that was red and pink. "Oh Mom..." I said. We both laughed. I quickly changed my shirt and put on my jacket over it. We left as I shut the door.

"Rika, I thought it was very nice what your mother did for you," Anya said. "Yeah," I reluctantly agreed. "In a way, it can be considered symbolic." "How's that?" Renamon asked. Oh boy... "Well, based on what I've heard from you, you have been dealing with a broken heart for many years. There has been a great emptiness in your life." "Thank you for stating the obvious," I said. We started walking down the stairs when Anya spoke again. "Rika... there's been something I've been meaning to ask you." "Go ahead, shoot." "I know this may sound odd, but I've never experienced Biomerging before. What should Lalamon and I expect from it?" I had to think about that. "Well, it starts off with you combining with your Digimon. You get this sudden feeling of warmth and strength. You know that your partner has your back and you have hers because you're fighting, together. You feel this deep connection because you are one." "Maybe that's the feeling you've been searching for, Rika. Maybe you've finally found it," Lalamon chimed in. I stopped and turned around. "Lalamon, you hardly know a thing about me," I said. "I learned a lot of things about you from the past few months," she answered. Anya put a hand on my shoulder. "It's all right. You don't have to pretend to be tough for my sake. I have the same issue as well. There is no shame in opening up."

I pulled out my cell phone and called Henry's house. No one answered, so I hung up. "Hey Anya, you feel like picking up some of the guys? We've got to get to work." Anya nodded and pulled out her D-Arc. I pulled out mine as well. We both picked out the same card, so we scanned it at the same time. "Digi-Modify! Digivolution Activate!"

**DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Renamon Digivolve To... Kyubimon!"

"Lalamon Digivolve To... Sunflowmon!"

Our Digimon Digivolved and we mounted them, ready to fight.

Henry

I was conflicted. I really was. So, I spoke to Sensei about it. "You were right Sensei, the Devas didn't think they were evil because they believed in what they were doing," I said. "Hm, it's like the clouds," he answered. We both looked at the clouds outside. "What do we know about clouds?" he asked. "They're cumulous?" "True, but they also move between us and the sun creating areas of shadow. And as the clouds move they move the shadows with them. The dark becomes light and the light becomes darkness, so it is with the perception of truth." Hmmm... "So can you know what's true? Or do you just have to trust that what you're doing is right?" I asked. "Very few things are absolute, Henry. Not even our own existence, for example take the border between the Real World and the Digital World. To the average person there's a clear distinction between those worlds, that one contains living beings and the other does not. Isn't that right? But you see that both are real and both contain living creatures, so perhaps there's no distinction between them at all and no real border." I realized something. "So that means that both worlds are important, and they both need to be protected. Thanks a lot, Sensei." I bowed and left to look for Greg and Veemon.

I found them having a tea party with Suzie and Lopmon. Greg chugged down his cup of imaginary tea. "Oooh, you dwink it so fast, Gweg." "That's easy for you to say. You don't put a lot in there," Greg quipped. "Greg, Veemon, let's go." The two got up. "Where are we going?" Veemon asked. "Where else? Shinjuku. We've got to save the world," I said. "That sounds exciting." I grabbed Terriermon and the 4 of us headed for the door. Unfortunately, we were cornered by Mom. She brought us into the main sitting area.

"Look Mom, I'm pretty sure Takato's gone down there and I know Rika's there," I started explaining. "And you want to go too?" she asked. "Yes! But after talking to Sensei I'm all confused, I mean I know that the D-Reaper has to be stopped but how can I be sure that fighting it or whatever is the right thing. Plus I told Dad I wouldn't go." "Mrs. Wong, normally I'd agree with Henry here. However, does Mr. Wong have a Digimon?" "Um... no," Mom said. "You're not helping," I muttered under my breath. "So what are you gonna do?" Mom asked. "I don't know. I don't think I have a choice," I said. "Of course you have a choice, Henry! You don't automatically have to rush out and put yourself into danger, you know? I mean you could get seriously hurt out there. All of you could!" "Mrs. Wong, I appreciate your concern and all that you've done for us, it's just that-" "Quiet, Greg," I growled. "The choices you make affect other people. Sometimes it affects them greatly, like when they have to sit home worrying about what might be happening to you, Henry." I thought about it. "Hm...Mom I know that you're worried about me, but believe me, we're the only ones who know what we're up against in Shinjuku. Only Takato, Rika, Ed, Anya, Greg, and I have a real shot at beating it. We can't just sit back and ignore it and hope that this thing will go away because it's not going to." "Exactly!" Greg chimed in. I turned to him. "Greg, why don't you go count your card collection again? Make sure you have everything. I'd like to be alone for a few minutes," I suggested. He got up and left.

Mom continued. "Oh Henry, I guess I should've known you would say something like that. It's just amazing to me, every day you seem to get more and more like your father." "And... that's bad?" "No, it's good, it just sometimes gets you into trouble. There was onetime when your father was just starting out, just trying to build a name for himself. This poor friend of his was living in Hong Kong and his house burned down. Your father didn't hesitate one bit. He quit his job even though he didn't know if he could get another one, then went to help. Said he couldn't call himself a friend otherwise. So I guess I can't fault you for wanting to help your friends." I perked up. "But I still don't want you to go." Oh. Figures. "Henry, I don't know what to tell you. I know you probably have to go out and save the world, but we just got you back and I don't know if I can stand the thought of losing you again." She started to cry. It was pitiful. I really didn't want to upset her, but I had to. I got up. "Henry, if you have to go then go." I started for the door. "Don't worry, I'll be fine," I said. I turned, put my hands together, and bowed in respect to her. "I love you Mom, I just...have to go. Just remember that, okay?" She didn't say anything. Greg and Veemon met me at the door. "Are you ready to go?" Greg asked. Then he noticed Mom crying. "Awww... I take it she's not taking the news very well huh?" "No." "All right. Hey, what was that gesture with the hands again? Maybe I should pay my respects too." I showed the gesture to him and he turned and did it. "Thanks again, Mrs. Wong, for everything," he said. We left. "And thank you too, Henry," he added. "Glad to see you paying your respects."

* * *

_Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger _is an example of tokusatsu and was adapted in the United States as _Power Rangers Wild Force _for Fox Kids and ABC in 2002.


	27. Chapter 21: Mr Wong's Wild Ride

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 21: Mr. Wong's Wild Ride

Greg

Henry, Veemon, Terriermon, and I made it outside Sensei's house, but had to sneak around the back. I drew out the Digieggs of Hope and Friendship cards from my cargo pants pocket. "Henry, I don't think it would be right for me to ride Veemon and you to walk. Now which one of these looks like a two-seater?" "Um, aren't you forgetting something?" Terriermon asked. "Oh that's right. Veemon, I think it would be really cool if we rode up to meet with the others. Are you OK with that?" "I am, but you just said it wouldn't be right for you to ride and Henry not to," Veemon said. "So I did." I put my hand on my chin. "Hmmm, there's gotta be a way for this to work out. First I have to pick. Now Davis rode Raidramon into Odiaba in the second season, so I'll pick him." Henry tried to compromise. "Look, Greg, it's fine. I've got my bike." "Oh no, not after all you've done for me. I'm going to repay the favor. Ready, Veemon?" I put the DigiEgg of Hope card back and unclipped my D-Arc. "Ready!" Veemon cheered as he got in position. I held the card up. "I've been practicing this for a while now," I said as I spun the card. "Digi-Modify! DigiEgg of Friendship Activate!"

**ARMOR DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Veemon Armor Digivolve to... Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!"

"You know, I don't understand that part," I said. "Neither do I, but that's not important," Raidramon said. Henry and I inspected him, attempting to figure out how to get two people and a Digimon on top of him. That was when I noticed a hole compartment on the side. "Hmmm..." I clipped my D-Arc back on my belt, mounted him, and put my hand in the compartment. It fit the two sections of my fingers furthest out. I smiled. "Perfect!" I dismounted him. "Here ya go, buddy. Right up here. I'll figure out how to get on." So, Henry mounted him while I figured out how to get on. I tried balancing myself on his neck. "Oooh, not the neck, not the neck," Raidramon groaned. "I'm sorry," I said as I got off. I had to think for a moment. "I got it. Henry, why don't you take Raidramon around the block just to see how he runs?"

* * *

Henry

"A ride around the block?" I asked. I was kind of honored, but I really didn't want this honor. Heck, I didn't even know I could use those DigiEgg cards with a D-Arc. Greg went up to Raidramon and spoke low. "Now Raidramon, I think it would be nice if you gave Henry a ride to thank him for what he's done. If he says jump, you ask how high. Really give him the full experience just once around the block. OK?" he asked. "All right, we do owe him something," Raidramon agreed. "Thanks. I appreciate it," Greg said as he patted him on the side. He got up and turned back to me. "Just wait until you get the ride of your life. Now that we know where the hand grips are, it should be a smoother ride," he said. He picked up Terriermon, pulled my jacket collar back, and tried stuffing him in. "Oooh, watch it. Take it easy there. I'm not a stuffed animal, ya know," Terriermon griped. "Would you rather hold onto Raidramon's tail?" Greg asked. "Come on, let's just go," I said. I put my hands in the grips and held on tight in anticipation. "Now how do you start this thing?" I asked. "Oh you just nudge his side with your shoe," Greg answered. So, I did, and Raidramon went off into a sprint. He picked up speed pretty quickly. I was just trying to stay on! "Whoa!"

"What is he, a bullet train?" Terriermon quipped. "Very funny," Raidramon answered as we made a sharp turn. The fastest I've ever gone was on the Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spa Land. We went there in 2000 for a summer vacation and the coaster had just opened. Rinchi bet I couldn't ride it, so I did just to prove him wrong. It was fast! When we got home, I looked it up online. I had been going 153 kilometers an hour! Now, while riding Raidramon, I figured I was going at least 129! Then he started bouncing off of cars! We were about to run right into the back a parked moving van. "Raidramon, jump!" I shouted. He did, and he landed on top of the van. He climbed down and turned another corner. By the time we got back to where we had started, I was out of breath.

"So how was the ride?" Greg asked eagerly. I was still panting. "It was... something," I said. My Tai Chi skills must have left me for a moment as I got off. "I think I'll stick to my bike. Thanks," I continued. "Any time," Raidramon replied.

* * *

Greg

Henry's eyes were all glazed over and he was out of breath. It looked like he had taken a plunge in the Arctic Ocean. Poor guy. I checked Terriermon and his eyes were glazed over too. I took him out of Henry's jacket and put him in his Tamer's arms. "OK, so you're not going to complain if I ride Raidramon and you ride your bike?" I asked him. Henry just shook his head no and stumbled toward his bike.

Minutes later, we were ready to go. I mounted Raidramon and held on tight to the grips. Terriermon flew up to Henry's head and held on as the half-Chinese boy mounted his bike. I started the countdown. "Ready for launch in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..." I nudged my Digimon's side with my shoe. "GO!" And off the two of us went down the road.

* * *

["Runaway (_Crime Story_ Version)"

Written by Del Shannon & Max Crook

Lyrics rewritten for _Crime Story _by Del Shannon

Lead Vocal: Del Shannon

Alternate Lead Vocal: Doug Erholtz]

If you've never experienced riding on Raidramon the right way, it's awesome. We started at the speed limit (40 kilometers an hour or about 25 miles per hour), but since there were hardly any cars around, Raidramon sped up. Henry and Terriermon went straight ahead, but we decided to take the scenic route.

_Del Shannon (or Greg): (VO)_

_**As I walk along **_

_**I wonder what went wrong **_

_**With our lives **_

_**Lives that weren't so strong **_

_**And as I still **__**walk on **_

_**I think of the things we've done **_

_**Together **_

_**While our hearts were young **_

_**I'm a walkin' in the rain **_

_**Tears are fallin' and I feel the pain **_

_**Watching all the plays go by **_

_**Some live and others die **_

_**I wonder **_

_**I wa-wa-wa-wa-wonder **_

_**Why **_

_**Why-why-why-why-why **_

_**I don't walk away **_

_**And I wonder what makes me stay **_

_**Runaway, a-run-run-run-run-runaway **_

_**(Electric Guitar Instrumental Bridge)**_

We made our way onto the freeway, where we passed by Rika and Kyubimon rushing to the scene. They came up to a blockade of traffic cones. "That's not gonna stop anyone," Rika griped. So, Kyubimon jumped over the hurdles. Fortunately, we came across a blockade of our own. Raidramon jumped across that beautifully. Sunflowmon was relatively high up in the air, probably with Anya riding her. Ed and Firamon were following in hot pursuit.

_Del Shannon (or Greg): (VO)_

_**I'm a walkin' in the rain **_

_**Tears are fallin' and I feel the pain **_

_**Watching all the plays go by **_

_**Some live and others die **_

_**I wonder **_

_**I wa-wa-wa-wa-wonder **_

_**Why **_

_**Why-why-why-why-why **_

_**I don't walk away **_

_**And I wonder what makes me stay **_

_**Runaway, a-run-run-run-run-runaway **_

_**Run-run-run-run-runaway (repeat until fade)**_

Takato

Guilmon and I made it to the flood tunnel at the other end of town. "Here we go," I said. "Here?" Guilmon asked. "Yeah, don't you remember? We've been here before, it connects to that big underground waterway," I answered. He thought about it, and then remembered. "Oh yeah, big, scary underground waterway. Whenever I go in here it seems like something bad happens." I turned to face it. "I can't believe that no one's guarding it, but that works out great for us. This'll take us all the way to the center of the park. I just hope that the D-Reaper doesn't have a trap or something waiting for us down here," I said. Guilmon turned his head toward me. "Well I'm not scared." "Then neither am I."

We started to go in, but then we heard a familiar voice. "Hey! Goggle head!" I turned around, and there were Rika, Renamon, Anya, Ed, Coronamon and Lalamon on the bridge. "You weren't thinking of going without me, were you?" Rika called down to us. Oh boy... "Rika! Heh heh heh. Uh, no, no of, of course not," I answered. "So what are you doing down in that tunnel, then?" Rika asked. "Oh well see, Guilmon and I were going to find a phone to call you and...hey wait a minute! You were just about to go after the D-Reaper without calling me, weren't you?" Rika closed her eyes and smiled. "Guilty." "What about me?" someone else asked. It was Henry riding up on his bike with Terriermon on his hair. "Henry!" we called. "What about me?" Terriermon asked. "Yeah, you too." "That's better." Just then, on the other side of the bridge, a long Digimon jumped down towards us. He landed on his four black feet in the water. It was Greg and Raidramon! "Hey, Greg. Raidramon. Glad you two decided to drop in, heh heh," I said. "Wanted to make an entrance," Greg answered with a smile. He took his hand out from a grip and pointed to it. "I finally figured out what these holes were for. That made the ride a lot smoother." "We took the scenic route," Raidramon added as he got up on dry land. Greg got off as his Digimon shook his paws dry. "Great entrance, Raidramon," Greg said. His Digimon reverted back to Veemon. Rika started taking off her jacket. "Uh oh, the jacket is coming off," I commented. She smiled as she threw it in the air. "That's right, boys. Playtime's over," she answered. The jacket landed in the water. I managed to lean over, grab a sleeve, and pull it in. "You're not just going to leave it lying there, are you?" Anya asked.

Minutes later, Henry was down without his jacket too. "I left it by the bike," he explained when Anya asked about it. "Looks like I'm overdressed," Greg realized. "Nah, you look fine," Anya said. "Thanks, Anya." We walked into the tunnel where Henry told us about his ride on Raidramon. "Sounds like you had a wild ride," Ed commented. Henry just nodded, then it became quiet again. We continued. "Well nothing bad has happened so far, but it's still scary," Guilmon said, crouching low. "Wait till we face the D-Reaper," Renamon taunted. "Oh, why'd you have to go and remind us of that?" Terriermon griped. "Because we've got to come up with a plan to handle it." "You mean beating up on it isn't plan enough?" "If it frightens the Sovereign, it is not to be taken lightly." "It can't be taken lightly. It's the size of a house!" "I think Renamon's right Terriermon, I mean she's always been right before so why not now?" Guilmon asked. "Why thank you," Renamon replied. "Renamon and Guilmon sittin' in a tree!" Terriermon taunted. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Coronamon added. They both laughed. Rika glared at me and I turned red. "Well what?" she asked. I tried to cover it up. "Oh nothing," I said. "Just keep walking, pretend she's not staring at you, and keep quiet!" I thought to myself. Of course, that didn't work out well. "I just wanted to say that, that shirt looks good," I told Rika. She turned red and turned away. Oh great.

"So, Anya, how are things in... Glocca Morra?" Ed asked. "You mean Yokohama? Oh, fine I suppose. I spent most of my time with Rika's mother and grandmother watching CNN. It was very depressing," Anya answered. "That's why there are Gaoranger reruns," Greg commented. "What's a Gaoranger?" Lalamon asked. "You don't wanna know," Henry answered.

We finally made it out of the tunnel. "Sure was a long tunnel," I said. "Some of us are still looking a little scared," Guilmon moaned. I opened the door and we walked out. Just then, Guilmon's ears twitched. "Hm? Hm, hey that sounds like fireworks," he said. We walked to where we could get a better view. In the air it looked like the army was attacking the D-Reaper's agents. "Oh no!" Henry groaned. "Does this mean we're too late?" I asked. "I don't know, but I'll tell ya what it does mean. Now we have to deal with the D-Reaper and the army." "_Great_, twice as much fun," I said. We stared up at the sky. "Don't you think we should call the United States embassy first?" Greg asked. We all shook our heads.


	28. Chapter 22: Breakfast in Shinjuku

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 22: Breakfast in Shinjuku

Greg

"This sure isn't gonna be easy," Henry said. "Yeah but really, when has it _ever_ been easy for us?" Takato asked. We were watching the Japanese army attempt to blow up the D-Reaper's agents. I had suggested we call the U.S. Embassy, but they decided against it. With no cell phone and no money, I was out of luck. "Why are they even bothering? Shooting at that thing isn't gonna do any good," Rika griped. "Hey I don't see us doing any better. Please, if you know the way to defeat it, I would _love_ to hear it." "I've got an idea," I said. All eyes were on me. "We get Magnamon to blow everything up." "Oh, that's _real original_. Why didn't I think of that?" Rika asked sarcastically. "Hey, it's just an idea," I snapped back. "Come on guys, we've gotta figure this out. Should we Digivolve, throw pinecones at it? Or just pray?" Takato asked. Just then, two yellow eyes appeared from the middle of the forest. "HUH?!" "What is that? It's staring right at us. I mean _really _staring right at us." They revealed themselves to be birds, or creatures like birds. It seemed like every human in our little group got their own personal creature watching them. "Okay, I'm freaked out," Takato said. "What are they?" "Are they Digimon?" Henry asked his partner. "I don't think so. I'd know if they were," Terriermon answered. The creature tilted its head. Guilmon had a theory. "Maybe they're the D-Reaper's pets. But why would he keep all of his birdies on a leash?" "I'm not sure I wanna find out," Takato said, panic steadily creeping in his voice. "Then what are we doing standing around here?" I asked. I felt those eyes pierce into my soul. This was another one of those times where your body tends to lose control of its functions. However, I had these creatures fooled. I had emptied my bladder hours before entering the tunnel. "Uh... Veemon, now might be a good time to..." "Uh... what?" he asked. "I'm scared stiff. You do the math," I answered. "Can't do that, I'm tired. Hadn't eaten anything since lunch. I used a lot of energy on that ride." Veemon answered with a deadpan. "Oh." "They must be some sort of advanced scouts," Renamon suggested. The creature nodded its head. "You sure they're not here to weird us out? Cause they're doin' a great job of that," Rika commented. More creatures appeared. "Guys? What's wrong with this picture?" Henry asked. "Where should I begin, Henry? We're surrounded, we don't have any guns, there's not a proton pack in sight, and nobody's pulled out a card yet," I answered. "Do you think that we should um..." "Run like crazy?" Henry suggested. "Not the worst idea I've heard today," Anya replied. So we started running like mad. Well, everyone except Guilmon. He was too busy in a staring contest. Takato had to pull him away.

Our chase went along the sidewalks of Shinjuku. "They're not following, maybe they're afraid of us," Rika said. Renamon had a better theory. "Or so unconcerned about us that we're not worth chasing." "Way to stay positive Renamon. We gotta find some place to hide!" Henry urged. Takato came up with hiding at their school, so that's what we did.

We quickly made our way inside and set up camp inside the local middle school. By the time we got there, we were all starving. Luckily, Anya knew how to cook. So, we scrounged around the cafeteria and had an impromptu dinner.

That night, we made our beds out of desks. Guilmon curled up on the window ledge. Rika slept on a shelf while Renamon kept watch in a chair. Henry made his bed out of three desks put together. There was a bench by the door, so that's where Anya and Lalamon slept. Ed and I put desks together. I took off my vest, folded it up, and used it for a pillow. The rest of me might not have anything, but I would be darned if my neck broke. Veemon found a spot by Guilmon. The sleeping was not that easy.

The next morning, I woke up early. I couldn't sleep. I don't think Takato could either. "The only thing worse than waking up and going to school is waking up and being in school, huh?" he asked groggily. "You look like you could use a sugar buzz," I said. He got up and uncovered the drapes. The two of us looked out the window. There was this big pink blob covering up the city. Guilmon lifted his head up. "Morning already?" he inquired. "Yeah," we answered. "I was hoping it was a dream," Takato said with a sigh. Everyone started waking up. "Well it isn't and we're the only ones that can deal with it," Henry answered. Rika and Renamon got up, as did the others. "Hey Takato, can we eat soon, please?" Guilmon pleaded. Takato started lecturing. "You know some of us aren't hungry all the ti..." But his stomach interrupted him. We all laughed.

About 30 minutes later, we came to a building to which Takato had a key. "Well, we can get breakfast here," he said. We cheered. "Well, we have to make it first." We groaned. He unlocked the door and turned on the lights. I went straight for the fridge. "Whoa... it looks like a bakery," I said. "Yeah, my parents own it," Takato answered. My jaw dropped. "No way! Your parents own this? That must mean you get all the donuts you want, dude!" "Greg, it's not that glamorous. We don't eat out of the stock, ever. Whatever we don't make for ourselves is strictly for the business. Besides, we don't make donuts here." He looked through the cupboards. "Okay there's gotta be some kind of bread mix around here." He looked in the fridge. "You mean my parents make this stuff from scratch? Maybe this won't be so easy. Well at least we've got all the bread makings," he announced cheerfully. I looked in the cupboards myself. No Pop-Tarts or cereal anywhere. "Great, we've got water. And the gas is working. So, looks like we're all gonna be making bread this morning." "Finally! Guilmon bread! Ha ha!" Guilmon cheered. "What's Guilmon bread?" Veemon asked. "Oh, that's bread shaped like my head," the dinosaur answered.

So, after equipping our heads with hairnets, we got to work baking. I was put in charge of working the mixer. Japanese mixers are about the same as American ones, except the numbers are in Japanese. Still, I got it to work. Guilmon's nose got a bit too close to the baking powder, causing him to sneeze. Takato protected himself and stared at Guilmon strangely. Henry and Terriermon looked at the dinosaur. Terriermon then giggled at him and Rika laughed too. Renamon seemed shocked at Rika's laughing. I chuckled a bit myself. Later, Takato put the bread in the oven. "Now we just wait for it to bake," he said. "Oh, we always have to wait for everything," Guilmon groaned. "You always have to _eat_ everything," Terriermon sniffed.

* * *

Yamaki

8:45 AM. We went to a separate building where we continued analysis on that mysterious pink blob. It seems it had entered the city when the Tamers returned. Our key operative and consultant was Janyu Wong, father of noted Tamer Henry Wong. "Put the land runners on the table and I'll grab the monitor," he directed as he grabbed the monitor. He was struggling with it. "Oh, I thought these were supposed to get smaller and lighter, not turn into lead," he groaned as he placed the monitor down. I stared out the window. Janyu approached me. "Well everything's just about hooked up. Yamaki, are you okay?" he inquired. I opened and closed my lighter. "I suppose. Just trying to get a better idea of what our enemy is up to," I replied. "Having any luck?" "No, but it seems to be avoiding the park. Perhaps the key to defeating the D-Reaper may lie there. I'll go investigate, you guys keep working here. "

* * *

Greg

An hour later, the bread was ready. I checked the fridge for grape jelly or honey of some kind. No luck. Still, it was excellent. The centerpiece looked just like Guilmon's head. I had to ask Takato for the recipe.

Half an hour later, we were stuffed. Well, everyone except Guilmon. "Ah, that's the best bread I ever had," Takato said with content. "Yeah it turned out great. Now if we could only beat the D-Reaper by baking bread. We'd be set," Henry echoed. Just then, Renamon stood up. "What is it, Renamon?" Rika asked. "A car," her partner answered. "Hm?" "I wasn't sure at first, but it's definitely a car. And it's coming this way." "What kind of a car is it?" I asked jokingly. Renamon glared at me.

* * *

Yamaki

10:15 AM. Riley, Tally, and I approached the house of Takato Matsuki. We were sure we would find him and his friends here. I rang the doorbell. Takato hesitantly answered it, popping his head out of the doorway. "Yeah um, who is it? Huh?" He recognized us. "Yamaki!" "I had a feeling you'd be here," I replied. "Yeah, but what in the world are you doing here? And you brought friends, wait a minute I know you. You come here all the time to buy bread and those day old bagels." "Those were day old?" I interrogated. We entered the building when I was attacked in the chest. "Vee Headbutt!" I was slammed against the wall. "Mr. Yamaki! I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry. Veemon, you idiot! That's a government agent," Greg ranted. He put his hands up. "Sir, I apologize. I didn't tell him to attack you. You can deport me, you can call my parents. But please, don't take him away!" "Get a hold of yourself, son!" He shut up as I got up off the floor. "Now, I appreciate your... enthusiasm. I've dealt with a lot, and given the circumstances, I'm willing to give your Digimon amnesty in exchange for your cooperation." "Um... amnesty?" "That means he gets off the hook and this whole attack never happened," Riley explained. He settled down.

Takato and his friends identified the pink blob in the city. "The D-Reaper? How did it get here?" I interrogated. "We first saw it in the Digital World. Somehow it followed the ark that brought us home," Henry explained. "Hm, now it's all starting to make sense. I wonder if this is what attacked Hypnos before. Listen Takato, it's vitally important you tell me everything you know about this thing. Do you have any idea what it wants with us?" "Believe me if we knew we'd tell you," Takato said. Just then, we heard a loud bang outside.


	29. Chapter 23: Impmon Goes to Hongo

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 23: Impmon Goes to Hongo

Impmon

Not a whole lot has changed. I still don't get respect. I might as well tell ya that I have Tamers. Bunch of rotten rugrats named Ai and Mako. Technically, Ai's my Tamer but Mako wanted a chance at me too. Seeing as how they're only 4, they thought I was some plaything and threw me around. That's why I left. But after all that happened in the Digital World, I wasn't exactly welcomed back with open arms. So, I went to their house when I found this note. Of course, I can't read. So, I searched for someone who could.

Before I left for the Digital World, I had scrounged around making a real pest of myself. A few fireballs here and there, a few choice insults, those were my arsenal. Maybe I shouldn't have done it, because now, I was getting no cooperation. Two schoolgirls ran from me. "Don't be like that, I ain't gonna bite cha or nothing!" I called out to them. "Huh..." Then some man in a suit passed by me. "Ah. Hey, do me a favor bub and read this, huh?" I asked him. He looked down and saw me, then ran like crazy. You'd have thought the devil was after him. "Huh? Come on, what did I ever do to you? Can't you tell when somebody's trying to be friendly, you big jerk!" I shouted. I looked at the note again. "Oh, I'll never get this thing figured out," I lamented. After that, another man came up wearing some Oriental costume. "Maybe I can help," he said. "Huh? Seriously? Uh, that'd be swell, mister. Uh, just read this for me would ya?" I turned the note over for him. "I suppose I could since you asked so nicely. Let me see. 'Impmon, we've gone to visit our grandma in Hongo,' and it's signed Ai and Mako." "Hongo? Is dat some kind of buffalo?" I asked him. The guy pointed to the train station. "It's a stop on the subway, just board the train and then ride it for five stops, that's Hongo. You'll be there before you know it." "Five stops, huh? That doesn't sound too hard, that's a lot pally," I said. I started to run off, but then I stopped. "Hey wait a sec... How come you ain't runnin' away screamin' like all the others?" I asked him. "The answer is simple, your outer form is unimportant. It's your inner life that defines your true nature and not a misperception of malice," he answered. "I have no idea what you just said, but it sure sounded good." I left and made my way to the train station. Okay, so it was four stops to Hongo, no five? Four? Eh, whatever. I'd find it.

So I went for a ride on the subway. I usually get in free 'cause I'm broke. Nobody ever asks me for a ticket or nothing. I got my own private bench too. That suits me just fine. "My outer doesn't matter, my inner tells, uh. Hm." I looked around. "Hm? Hm? Yeah I'm talking to myself, so what?"

* * *

Greg

Yamaki and his two female friends Riley and Tally came in Takato's house and bakery. The only problem was that Veemon attacked Yamaki. Luckily, he offered amnesty if we cooperated with him. I don't know what it is with government agents and Veemon. Sure, we had a bit of a rough start when we entered Japan. I don't get it.

Right in the middle of our discussion, we heard a giant bang outside. We rushed outside to find out what it was. "Don't these guys ever rest?" Guilmon asked. "They're starting to fight the D-Reaper again," Takato exclaimed. Yamaki didn't look happy about it. "I told them they can't beat it that way. They're only putting themselves in danger." "I knew it. And that's why we've got to take them down ourselves," I said.

* * *

Impmon

I finally made it to Hongo. Thank goodness for those PA systems. I went on the hunt for them. "Man, this Hongo place is big enough to hide a small country. But what if I never find them? If I don't...then they'll never know how sorry I am," I lamented. I jumped from rooftop to rooftop, looking in every window I could. "What's da use? I'm never gonna find Ai and Mako... but I know they're close by. I can feel it." Just then, I heard a little tiny dog barking. I looked down, and sure enough, there they were. "I don't believe it," I breathed to myself. They looked up. "Oh." "It's Impmon, hi," Ai said as she waved to me. I stared at their little mutt. Mako jumped up and down. "Yay, Impmon's back! Impmon came back to us!" he shouted in joy. I forced a smile. "Hi guys, what's up?" I asked. I'm pretty sure my voice cracked.

I jumped down but had to hide in their doghouse.

* * *

Greg

We took a ride in Riley's van to where we could get a better view of the battle. The army was still shooting them down, but it was no use. We stopped, got out, and ran to observe. "See that little guy flying around? Maybe it's the D-Reaper and the rest is just its field. So we might not have to fight the whole thing, just the little guy," Takato ventured. "Finally, we get to fight a little guy," Terriermon quipped. "But what if you're wrong?" Henry asked. "Then we're really no worse off than when I came up with this idea. And there's only one way to find out if I'm right or not," Takato said, mustering up his courage. He unclipped his D-Arc. We took out ours as well. "But this all sounds too dangerous," Yamaki countered. My mind raced, but then it came to me. Yamaki had given me the perfect set up. I closed my eyes, drew a card, and concentrated. "Well then..." I said, opening my eyes, "Let's get dangerous!"*

Takato, Henry, and Rika went first. "DIGI-MODIFY! MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

**MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Terriermon Matrix Digivolve to..."

"Renamon Matrix Digivolve to..."

"Guilmon Matrix Digivolve to..."

"Rapidmon!"

"Taomon!"

"WarGrowlmon!"

Next it was our turn. We got a 3-way split screen of our own. "DIGI-MODIFY! MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

**MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Veemon Matrix Digivolve to..."

"Lalamon Matrix Digivolve to..."

"Coronamon Matrix Digivolve to..."

"Magnamon!"

"Lilamon!"

"Flaremon!"

The Digimon flew or ran into the fray. Takato just stood there with his fist clenched. "It's up to you now guys!" he cheered. "Amazing. So this is digivolution," Yamaki remarked. "Yeah, there's only one drawback. Now we don't have anything to do except cheer them on," Ed noted. I nodded. "That sucks," I agreed.

* * *

Impmon

After their grandma left, Ai and Mako invited me in the house. Then they showered me with food and drinks. They really tried to make me feel at home. They just came in left and right. "Drink this." "This too." "Oh hold on." "Yeah." "Snacks." "Eat up, yummy." They ran back for more. I put up a big stink. "Come on guys, you don't need to go to all this trouble, I'm fi..." I stopped when they brought in that teddy bear. They had torn it up fighting over it. That was what broke the camel's back last time. "Do you remember our teddy bear, Impmon? He's all fixed up now," Ai said. "Mommy sure did a good job on him, huh?" Mako asked. "Mako and I decided we're going to share all of our toys from now on, Impmon," Ai said. They were trying so hard to make it up to me. It really gets ya in the old ticker, ya know what I mean? "It's because of all our fighting that you left, isn't it? That's why we decided to stop fighting and share so that way you'd never leave again." "We're so sorry Impmon. Please forgive us." "Pretty please Impmon?" I had to turn away. I didn't want those rotten kids to see me cry. "Forgive you? Yeah sure," I said. The words were choking in my mouth.

* * *

Magnamon

It's not everyday that you get to fight both the Japanese army and a freak that follows you home. All I know is that Greg doesn't want me messing around with the army. So, I'll just focus on the freak. He had a cloth-like body, a round face and cord-like limbs with sickles at the ends. He looked like he was built for aerial combat. I called him "Pendulum Feet". That suited me just fine. "Magna Blast!" I opened up my armor and fired missiles at it. Lilamon got in and joined me. "Un Deux Pollen!" She danced gracefully and scattered pollen. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to do any good. Pendulum Feet fired balls of Chaos. "Talisman Spell!" Taomon shouted as she created a shield. That destroyed one of the balls. "Rapid Fire!" Rapidmon shot a missile at the ball, destroying it. Then, he and WarGrowlmon turned their attention toward the freak. "Atomic Blaster!" "Bunny Blaster!" They both shot at him, but he generated a shield. Just like Taomon's shield! "That was the same as my shield," Taomon gasped. The smoke cleared leaving Pendulum Feet unharmed. Then he opened his mouth and fired what looked like a copy of Atomic Blaster at WarGrowlmon! He got sent back.

* * *

Greg

We were watching the fight, when all of a sudden, Takato wrapped his arms around his chest, slid back, and winced. It was like he was forced back. Henry was the first to notice. "Huh, Takato! Rapidmon, watch out! He's copying our attacks somehow!" he shouted. "Magnamon! Don't let him learn any more attacks!" I called. Just then, I felt an incredible sensation of pain in my gut. It felt like somebody twice the size of Mike Tyson had punched me in my stomach. "Ugh!" Everyone started grabbing their sides and groaning as well. That was when I learned a downside to being a Tamer. "We're sharing their pain!" Anya screamed. "I know..." I grunted. "Anybody have any... ideas?" Takato was the real expert on this. He let out a primal roar. "RRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH HHHHHH!" I tried reaching for a card, but the attacks kept coming. Not even Ed was safe. He and I fell to our knees.

* * *

Impmon

Eh, maybe one banana couldn't hurt. I unpeeled it and started eating it. Oh man, it was good. I savored that thing. It was like ecstasy in my mouth. "How is it?" Ai asked. "It's yummy, huh?" "Do you want some more?" "Cause we can make more." "Do you want to watch TV?" "Ooh yeah." Mako grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. There they were. Taomon, WarGrowlmon, Rapidmon, and all the others getting attacked by that thing. I stared in horror and quickly finished the banana. I got up and jumped off the couch. "I've gotta go," I realized. "What? You're really gonna leave us again?" Ai asked sadly. "But you just got here, I don't want you to go, did we do something wrong?" "Whatever we did we're sorry, please don't go." "I don't wanna go I...have to," I said. I turned and pointed to the TV. "My friends are in trouble, they need my help," I explained. "Will you come back?" Ai asked. "You will won't you?" Mako added. I smiled. "You bet, I'll be back in time for supper I promise." I quickly left the house and started running. "Impmon wait!" they both shouted. I stopped, and they ran to me. Mako gave me something I'll never forget, a toy gun. "Here, this'll help. It's my favorite and you can blast all the bad guys with it," Mako said. Bless that kid, if only he knew. "Mako... awesome!" I took the gun. "They won't know what hit 'em," I reassured him. Ai came up close to me. "Impmon... we sure love you," she said. Then she gave me a kiss on the cheeks. I blushed and had to back away. "Whoa! Don't be sappy. You're making me all embarrassed here with that junk." I turned away from them. "But, I love you too." Then I started running. "I can't believe I just said that," I told myself in disbelief.

I started running down the street with the gun and talking to myself. "Who am I kiddin'? Promisin' to be back, a sought up little pip squeak with a toy gun. I'm gonna get torn apart. Still, I gotta help 'em!" I dug deeper than I'd ever dug before, and then it happened.

**WARP DIGIVOLUTION_**

* * *

Beelzemon

Yeah, I didn't know I had it in me either. I stared at the toy gun Mako gave me. Suddenly, it glowed purple and became a real gun, and I mean a huge usable gun attached to my arm. "You know Mako, this might just come in handier than you think. Excellent." As I kept running, something came to me. Something was trying to escape from my body, so I closed my eyes and forced it out. Turned out to be a pair of wings, just bursting out. "I've never felt this kind of power before, and this time I'm fightin' for what's right!" I lifted my head and took off for the skies. "Feels pretty good when you got someone to fight for. Hey, who knew?"

* * *

Magnamon

Pendulum Feet kept firing our attacks back at us, and we were running out of breath. "How can we beat this guy if he keeps turning his attacks against us? It's like beating up myself," Rapidmon said. "What if we lose? What will happen to Takato and the others?" WarGrowlmon wondered. "Come on, guys, we can't think like this. As long as they believe in us, we can't fail," I tried to reason. "That's correct. As long as we are sincere in our efforts, we can never truly lose," Lilamon agreed.

* * *

Greg

Nearly my whole body was in pain and I was running out of breath. At that point, my body would have been glad to have someone put me out of my misery. I hadn't even done anything and I was still getting beaten up. This was what being a Tamer really meant. Nearly everyone else felt the same way. Yet, we couldn't give up. We shouldn't and wouldn't give up. "If we're really gonna beat this guy we're all gonna have to bio-merge!" Takato shouted. He thrust his D-Arc forward. "Rah!" Nothing happened. "Takato..." I panted, "I think... you're doing it... wrong." This was it. I pulled some of the strength and all of the hope I still had and thrust my D-Arc to the sky. "BIOMERGE ACTIVATE!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I would have done more, but my arms were in too much pain. I tried it again. "Rrrrrgh... **BIOMERGE ACTIVAAAAATE**!" "It's not working," Takato said. Henry figured out the reason why. "We're not data," he realized. "Huh?" the rest of us asked. "It worked in the Digital World because we were data, but here we're flesh and blood," he explained. "So are we supposed to just stand around and twiddle our thumbs while our Digimon get beaten up?" Rika demanded to know. "Rika, I'm not in... any condition to twiddle anything," Anya panted. "Uh, I can't believe this! Is anything good ever going to happen to us?!" Takato shouted to the sky. Just then, something flew overhead. Rather it was someone with a New York accent. "One good thing coming up!" All of us dropped our jaws.

* * *

Magnamon

Someone was headed this way. "What? Beelzemon?" WarGrowlmon gasped. "What are you doing here? " Taomon demanded. I just growled at him. "Looking to hit us while we're down, huh? That's your style, _right_?" Rapidmon sneered. "Hey, trash me if you want but I swear I'm here to help," Beelzemon said. "We don't need your help, we're doing just fine," I growled. Our unwanted ally continued. "I'm on the level fellas, really. But I don't give a dirty handkerchief if you believe me or not, cause my partners believe in me. And I'm doin' this one for them." We gasped at that. "Partners? You have _Tamers_?" Lilamon asked in disbelief. "And where are they?" I demanded. "Tamers? I don't have to show you any stinkin' Tamers!"* Beelzemon retorted. He got in position and went to work. Pendulum Feet spun towards Beelzemon with the blades. "Is that all you got for me?" he asked as he held out his arm. The tip of the gun attached to it opened and energy formed in it. "Corona BLASTER!" he shouted. He fired the energy at Pendulum Feet but our enemy moved out of the way. But we still looked on. The wire attaching him to the D-Reaper was cut, making him stop. I dropped my jaw, but Taomon quickly took out her paintbrush. "Talisman of Light!" She painted a character in the air and then threw it at the enemy. Rapidmon prepared an attack. "Tri-Beam!" "Atomic Blaster!" Flaremon even fired an attack from ground level. "Purifying Howl!" He unleashed an energy blast at Pendulum Feet while howling. I even joined in. "Magna Blast!" All of our attacks hit and destroyed our foe, turning him into Chaos and disappearing.

* * *

Greg

There were cheers all around. "Yeah!" "You did it!" "Way to go!"

Later that evening, all our Digimon came back and we officially met our unlikely ally, Beelzemon. "Well, at least part of it's been destroyed," Takato said. "Yeah, thanks to me," Beelzemon boasted. "You're right, thank you. We owe you an apology for not trusting you," Taomon apologized. "Yeah, we'd have been sunk without you, Impmon," Rapidmon echoed. That got a bit of a rise out of Beelzemon. "Impmon? Hey open your eyes, I'm not Impmon anymore. I'm Beelzemon! You see, my outer finally matches my inner. I'm Blast Mode beautiful and don't you forget it." "Sorry, didn't mean to make you upset...Impmon!" The Digimon and most of the Tamers started laughing. "Hey! Why you! Ah I should've let the D-Reaper beat the snot out of you. Oh wait, wait, wait this is one of those friendship things. Ohh yeah I get it, you're laughing with me, right? Right?"

* * *

"Let's get dangerous" was used in the 1990s Disney animated series _Darkwing Duck._

The original line from _The Treasure of the Sierra Madre_ is: "Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinkin' badges!"


	30. MusicBreak 7: Bat out of Hell

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Music Break #7

"Bat Out of Hell"

Written by Jim Steinman

Performed by Beelzemon [Derek Stephen Prince]

Backup Vocals: Jesus Lifehouse International Church Tokyo Choir

_As the video begins, and for the first minute and 30 seconds, we see a montage of Impmon and Beelzemon's road to apparent ruin and redemption. As the piano beginning plays, we find Beelzemon parking his motorcycle outside a church building on a Sunday. The chapel is packed with all the main characters and their Digimon in their apparent Sunday best. Guilmon is once again playing the piano. As Beelzemon goes into the first verse, he makes a grand entrance by slamming the chapel doors open and walking down the aisle to the pulpit._

_Beelzemon:_

_**The sirens are screaming and the fires are howling  
Way down in the valley tonight  
There's a man in the shadows with a gun in his eye  
And a blade shining oh so bright  
There's evil in the air and there's thunder in the sky  
And a killer's on the bloodshot streets  
Oh and down in the tunnel where the deadly are rising  
Oh I swear I saw a young boy  
Down in the gutter  
He was starting to foam in the heat**_

_He makes it to the pulpit and directs his attention to Ai, sitting in a row. _

_Beelzemon:_

_**Oh Baby, you're the only thing in this whole world  
That's pure and good and right  
And wherever you are and wherever you go  
There's always gonna be some light  
But I gotta get out  
I gotta break it out now  
Before the final crack of dawn  
So we gotta make the most of our one night together  
When it's over you know  
We'll both be so alone**_

_One thing I forgot to mention that appears on the pulpit in the seats behind Beelzemon is the Jesus Lifehouse International Church Tokyo choir and the backup band, featuring Yamato "Matt" Ishida and the Teenage Wolves. (Please note that the author does not affiliate himself with this church.) They will provide backup._

_Beelzemon:_

_**Like a bat out of hell  
I'll be gone when the morning comes  
When the night is over  
Like a bat out of hell I'll be gone gone gone  
Like a bat out of hell I'll be gone when the morning comes  
But when the day is done  
And the sun goes down  
And the moonlight's shining through**_

_The choir goes into an "oooh" as someone sets up the video screen just above him. Yolei Inoue plays at the organ._

_Beelzemon:**  
Then like a sinner before the gates of heaven  
I'll come crawling on back to you**_

_As the second verse begins, Beelzemon turns on a video that shows him riding Behemoth through the desolate streets of Shinjuku. _

_Beelzemon:_

_**I'm gonna hit the highway like a battering ram  
On a silver black phantom bike  
When the metal is hot and the engine is hungry  
And we're all about to see the light  
Nothing ever grows in this rotten old hole  
And everything is stunted and lost  
And nothing really rocks  
And nothing really rolls  
And nothing's ever worth the cost**_

_He once again directs his attention to Ai and Mako, lowering and softening his voice a bit, building it to a crescendo._

_Beelzemon:  
**And I know that I'm damned if I never get out  
And maybe I'm damned if I do  
But with every other beat I got left in my heart  
You know I'd rather be damned with you  
Well, If I gotta be damned you know I wanna be damned  
Dancing through the night with you  
Well if I gotta be damned you know I wanna be damned  
Gotta be damned you know I wanna be damned  
Gotta be damned you know I wanna be damned  
Dancing through the night  
Dancing through the night  
Dancing through the night with you**_

_The joint is really jumping at this point as everyone stands up and starts dancing. Guilmon tickles the ivories as it were as Matt gets in a guitar solo._

_Beelzemon:_

_**Oh Baby, you're the only thing in this whole world  
That's pure and good and right  
And wherever you are and wherever you go  
There's always gonna be some light  
But I gotta get out  
I gotta break it out now  
Before the final crack of dawn  
So we gotta make the most of our one night together  
When it's over you know  
We'll both be so alone**  
_

_**Like a bat out of hell  
I'll be gone when the morning comes  
When the night is over  
Like a bat out of hell I'll be gone gone gone  
Like a bat out of hell I'll be gone when the morning comes  
But when the day is done  
And the sun goes down  
And the moonlight's shining through**_

_By now the demon is really pounding the pulpit as it comes to a grand climax._

_Beelzemon:_

_**Then like a sinner **_

_**Before **_

_**The gates of heaven  
I'll come crawling on back to you**_

_The situation settles down as everyone sits down. Our demon really knows how to play the congregation. He gets really close to the microphone._

_Beelzemon:_

_**Then like a sinner before the gates of heaven  
I'll come crawling on back to you**_

_Just then, Behemoth comes riding in by itself. Beelzemon jumps from the pulpit and lands on Behemoth's seat. He rides out of the church and onto the highway. Unfortunately, he's being followed in hot pursuit by D-Reaper agents. This leads to a chase through the city and into the unknown parts of the area._

_Beelzemon:_

_**I can see myself tearing up the road  
Faster than any other boy has ever gone  
And my skin is raw but my soul is ripe  
And no one's gonna stop me now  
I'm gonna make my escape  
But I can't stop thinking of you  
And I never see the sudden curve 'til it's way too late**_

_The chase leads to another uphill chase as Beelzemon increases the acceleration and speed to dangerous amounts. And sure enough, he doesn't see the sudden curve until it's way too late._

_Beelzemon:_

_**And I never see the sudden curve till it's way too late**  
_

_He breaks the metal barrier and creates a violent crash scene at the bottom of the hill. His bike's a wreck, and he's not in too good shape himself. His skin is open as his beating heart breaks out of his body and flies away._

_Beelzemon:_

_**Then I'm dying at the bottom of a pit in the blazing sun  
Torn and twisted at the foot of a burning bike  
And I think somebody somewhere must be tolling a bell  
And the last thing I see is my heart  
Still beating  
Breaking out of my body  
And flying away  
Like a bat out of hell**_

_Of course, this is just an illusion as we see Beelzemon and the choir at church performing the climax at his own funeral, interrupted at various times by Matt's guitar playing. _

_Beelzemon:_

_**Then I'm dying at the bottom of a pit in the blazing sun  
Torn and twisted at the foot of a burning bike  
And I think somebody somewhere must be tolling a bell  
And the last thing I see is my heart  
Still beating  
Still beating  
Oh breaking out of my body and flying away  
Like a bat out of hell  
Like a bat out of hell  
Like a bat out of hell**_

_**Like a bat out of hell**_

_**Like a bat out of hell  
Like a bat out of hell**_

_As the song ends, Beelzemon is given his last rites and buried by a tombstone. One of the gravediggers is Meat Loaf. _


	31. Chapter 24: Power Lunch

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 24: Power Lunch

Henry

"Every time I wake up in school I think I'm in a nightmare," I observed. I yawned and went to look out the window. Takato was there with me. "What's up?" I asked. Takato just stared blankly at the yard. "I couldn't get any sleep last night. And it's not cause Guilmon snored like a dump truck," he said. "Something buggin' you?" I asked. He looked down. "I saw Jeri yesterday. I called her mom in Matsumoto to tell her but she said Jeri wasn't gone till the evening. Well, I saw Jeri in the evening, but that's not possible cause it takes hours to get from Matsumoto to here, it just doesn't make sense." The door opened. "You sure you're not seeing things? Who knows, maybe your goggles were on too tight," Rika guessed. "Huh?" I asked. I saw the curtain move. "That's funny, I, I don't remember leaving the window open." It stopped moving. "It was Jeri, or Jeri's ghost," Takato said. I looked at him like he'd just seen a UFO. "I know it sounds crazy, I mean she couldn't here that fast if she hitched a ride on a jet plane and the way that she looked, I don't know." He went over to pet Guilmon. "There's something about this that gives me the willies." "Oh please, you get the willies when you lose a sock. I just hope Jeri's okay, she's been freaky ever since we got home." "She has been through a lot," I reasoned. "I know, but she's not just upset it's more than that. It's like something's broken...deep inside," Takato answered. Just then, Greg and Anya entered, already dressed. "Brrrr... shower's out of hot water again," Greg said.

* * *

Greg

We were entering day 3 of the same routine. We'd wake up, go to Takato's house for bread and who knows what else, fight, then go back to the school and nurse our wounds. However, there was something different about that day. There was a note blowing on the metal. Takato picked it up and read it. "Kids, come to Rika's house at once." "Huh?" Rika asked. Takato read the signatures. "Our parents." "This can't be good," Rika said.

But went we did, at least until Pineapple Head tried thinking straight. "Guys, hold on a minute, I don't think we should go," she advised. We stopped. "Huh?" "What if it's a trap or something?" "Rika, my folks aren't like that. Maybe they just wanna talk," Takato said. "If it's my folks, they'll definitely want to talk," I said. I went into an impression of my dad. "'Greg! You've been fooling around long enough. You're coming home, and you're not taking your Pokèmon with you.'" "What's a Pokèmon?" Veemon asked. "It's like Digimon, except they don't Digivolve and they can only say their name," Henry explained. "Oh." Renamon appeared from nowhere, with almost ninja-like precision. "You know Rika, Takato may be right. We should trust them," she said. "How do you do that?" I asked. "Do what?" "Appear out of nowhere." "I am speedy because that is what Rika wishes me to be." "Oh." Rika started walking off, upset. "I don't believe this, you guys are so naïve." We followed her. But as we were doing that, Takato stopped. He stared at a streetlight for a few minutes. "Uh, Jeri!" he shouted. "Takato! What's wrong?" I asked him. He shook his head. "I thought I saw Jeri," he answered with concern. "You should probably tell the others."

* * *

Jeri

What is this chaotic world? These creatures mindlessly act on their own, but there is no value in the one. Only pain and doubt outside the collective.

* * *

Takato

I thought I saw her, right there. She, she didn't sound like herself. Why don't the others understand? "Jeri, I just saw her. She was right here," I said. The others looked at each other. "Did you see anything?" Rika asked Henry. "Not me." "I didn't hear anything either," Ed said. Renamon appeared again. "Rika, I sensed a presence." "Really? Was it Jeri?" "I don't know." "This is really really strange," Greg noted.

* * *

Greg

We reached Rika's house. It wasn't as much of a house as it was a Japanese mansion. It was huge! "Whoa..." Anya and I said in awe. "Rika, may I be the first to state the obvious. This is a beautiful house," Anya said. "Oh... well thanks, I guess," Rika answered. We went to the front door. Rika knocked on it. "Um, hello?" She opened it, and we gasped. There were our parents! "Mom! Dad!" Veemon and I ran to them and nearly jumped into Mom as we gave her a big hug. Dad got a hug too, but he didn't look too happy at Veemon. "Oh Greg, we've missed you so much," Mom said, nearly with tears in her eyes. I was fighting back the tears myself. "Me too, me too." Veemon tried to meet Dad. "Hi, Dad," he said cheerfully. "And who are you?" Dad asked. "My name's Veemon. Greg's my Tamer." "Tamer?" Dad glared at me. "What is this thing?" He just had to ruin it. "Dad... that thing is Veemon. He's my Digimon and my friend." "A Digimon?" "Yeah. The rest of us have them. See? There's Guilmon, Terriermon, Renamon... well, when she gets here anyway, sometimes she disappears and then comes back again. There's um, Coronamon and Lalamon." "Yeah," Veemon chimed in, "we're Digimon. Digital Monsters. Nice to meet cha." He offered his hand and Dad reluctantly took it.

Anya ran to see her parents too. Mrs. Wong had a message for Ed. "Oh, um, Ed... we have a message from your parents. Sorry they couldn't make it. They were held up with business trying to find your replacement," she reported. Ed turned away. "It's fine, it's fine. I'm not sure they'd understand anyway," he said, brushing it off. "Hmm..." I felt sorry for Ed. The poor guy.

We introduced ourselves and went to the dining room and there was a table set for us loaded with food! "Holy mackerel!" Takato gasped. Terriermon ran around the room singing a song. "Buns and beans and sauerkraut, I'm gonna eat till I pass out!" When he made it to Henry, he got pulled by the ears to the table. Guilmon sniffed out something that looked awfully familiar to him. "Is this what I think it is?" he asked. Mr. Matsuki nodded. "Yep, well I promised ya didn't I? Do ya like it?" he asked. Guilmon started cheering. "Guilmon bread! Guilmon bread! I like bread shaped like my head! Guilmon bread! Guilmon bread!" An old woman sat there and smiled. She sat next to a really attractive woman, probably not any older than 26. I think she was a model. It was hard to believe she was Rika's mom. "Your mother and I cooked all day, now eat up before it gets cold," the old woman said. Rika looked to her mom. "Wow. You cook?" We dug into our food. The Digimon stuffed their faces. I was inclined to join them, but luckily I had table manners. I tried teaching some to Veemon, who slowly caught on.

"Mom, where's Suzie?" Henry asked. "Well your sensei was nice enough to look after her for a while," Mrs. Wong answered. "Now what's this I hear about Digimon? I thought they were some cartoon," Dad said. Henry stepped up to bat and tried to explain. "Well, Mr. Logan, let me see if I can explain. My father, Janyu Wong, developed them in 1984 with a group of students from Palo Alto University. The project was a success, but was abruptly cut short when their funding was pulled, and the experiment frozen. Now if what Dad told me was right, someone at Toei Animation must have read about this project and developed the franchise it is today." "And then it got shopped to Saban Entertainment who bought and dubbed it," I added. Henry continued. "It became one of the biggest franchises in Japanese animation of its day, with video games and even a trading card game. What we didn't know at the time was that Digimon and the Digital World were actually real. My friends and I learned that the hard way." We spent the next hour or so explaining the whole thing to my parents.

When we finished, he thought about it for a few minutes and gave his reaction. "OK, I don't care that much about the whole Digital World or whatever it is. All I know is that my son is an entire semester behind in school." He turned to my friends. "Thank you so much for taking care of him while he was here. Greg, pack your things. We're taking the next plane home to Dallas." "But Dad..." "No buts about it, we're going home. You've had your fun, now you've got to catch up with the rest of your life." "Dad..." "I SAID WE'RE GOING HOME!" I got up from the table. "NO!" I shouted. "I can't leave them here, not like this. These people have become my friends, and I'm not going to leave them until the job's done." Tensions started running high, and Dad was about to reach his boiling point. "You are my son, and I say you're going home where you belong." "Spencer-" Mom tried cutting in. "WHAT?!" "I think he should stay until everything's back to normal. Besides, we can use a vacation." "What are they going to say about him at school? Nobody's going to believe him when he says he's been saving the world with a monster." "Dad, I can make up the work-" "YOU SHUT UP! This is on your head, you understand me? I don't want to discuss it any further. We're going home." Mr. Matsuki stood up. "Mr. Logan, I think you're overreacting." "Nobody asked you!" Dad barked. That started a huge argument which I haven't bothered to record. The rest of us continued eating. I would've left, but I was taught never to leave a guest's table until excused.

* * *

Impmon

I went wandering around the schoolyard. Just then, I heard someone. "Hello?" I spotted him from a corner. It was that digital cream puff, Calumon. I snuck up behind him. "Hello? Aw nuts, where did everybody go?" "BOO!" He went flying into the air and went pretty far. "You're pretty light on your feet for somebody who eats his weight in cream puffs," I snarked. He got up. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that! Sheesh!" "Eh, so what cha been up to, ya digital dough boy?" I asked him. "I was with Jeri, then poof she disappeared. I don't know what happened to her, now I'm all by my lonesome." "Hm...Jeri, it was her partner I...hm." I knew I had to do something. So, I started walking away. "Impmon now what are you doing, hm?" Calumon asked. "I got this stabbin' pain in my head. I think it's called a conscience. I gotta do something about it," I said.


	32. MusicBreak 8: Hold On

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Music Break #8

"Hold On"

Written by Chynna Phillips & Glen Ballard, additional lyrics by Carnie Wilson

Performed by RNR

Anya Rădulescu [Kate Higgins]

Rika Nonaka [Melissa Fahn]

Renamon [Mari Devon]

* * *

_The music video opens in an alternate version of "The Icemon Cometh". We're in an icy cave in a digital field as Rika, wearing her broken-heart top, is bound in chains. The current Rika (wearing her full heart top), Anya, and Renamon come in with a backup band (namely Matt and the Teenage Wolves). The current Rika approaches her past self._

_Rika:_

_**I know this pain **_

_**(I know this pain)**_

_Rika/Anya:_

_**Why do you lock yourself up in these chains? **_

_Rika:_

_**No one can change your life except for you  
Don't ever let anyone step all over you  
Just open your heart and your mind **_

_Rika/Anya:_

_**Is it really fair to feel this way inside? **_

_The band starts up into the chorus._

_RNR:_

_**Some day somebody's gonna make you want to  
Turn around and say goodbye  
Until then baby are you going to let them  
Hold you down and make you cry?**_

_Rika:_

_**Don't you know?**_

_RNR:_

_**Don't you know things could change?  
Things'll go your way**_

_Rika:_

_**If you hold on for one more day **_

_RNR:_

_**Can you hold on for one more day?**_

_Rika:_

_**Things'll go your way **_

_RNR:_

_**Hold on for one more day **_

_Just then, IceDevimon appears and poses a menace to our girls. The Renamon from the past appears as well, ready to fight him off. She's getting beat pretty badly._

_RNR:_

_**You could sustain**_

_**(You could sustain)**_

_**Mmmmm, or are you comfortable with the pain? **_

_Rika:_

_**You've got no one to blame for your unhappiness **_

_Anya:_

_**No baby**_

_Rika:_

_**You got yourself into your own mess **_

_**Lettin' your worries pass you by **_

_Renamon:_

_**Lettin' your worries pass you by **_

_Rika/Renamon:_

_**Don't you think it's worth the time  
To change your mind? **_

_And down goes Renamon!_

_Rika:_

_**No no!**_

_RNR:_

_**Some day somebody's gonna make you want to  
Turn around and say goodbye  
Until then baby are you going to let them  
Hold you down and make you cry?**_

_Rika:_

_**Don't you know?**_

_RNR:_

_**Don't you know things could change?  
Things'll go your way**_

_Rika:_

_**If you hold on for one more day **_

_RNR:_

_**Can you hold on for one more day?**_

_Rika:_

_**Things'll go your way**_

_Renamon**:**_

_**Go, things'll go your way**_

_Rika:_

_**Hold on for one more day **_

_Renamon is in serious pain as the past Rika drops down to her knees. She's nearly in tears, which quickly freeze up._

_Anya:_

_**I know that there is pain  
But you hold on for one more day and you**_

_Rika/Anya:_

_**Break free from the chains **_

_Anya:_

_**Yeah I know that there is pain  
But you hold on for one more day and you  
Break free, break from the chains **_

_Anya quickly uses keys to free the Rika of the past. The Rika of the present gives her the Blue Card, which the Rika of the past uses to reenergize and Digivolve Renamon to Taomon. The battle continues._

_RNR:_

_**Some day somebody's gonna make you want to  
Turn around and say goodbye (say goodbye)  
Until then baby are you going to let them  
Hold you down and make you cry?**_

_Rika:_

_**Don't you know?**_

_**Know? Don't you know?**_

_RNR:_

_**Don't you know things could change?  
Things could go your way**_

_Rika:_

_**If you hold on for one more day yeah  
**_

_The battle begins to heat up. Taomon w__reathes her talismans around IceDevimon's body, then detonates him._

_RNR:_

_**If you hold on **_

_**Don't you know things could change?  
Things'll go your way  
If you hold on for one more day,  
If you hold on  
Can you hold on?  
Can you hold on baby?**_

_Anya:_

_**Won't you tell me now?**_

_RNR:_

_**Hold on for one more day 'Cause  
It's gonna go your way**_

_**Don't you know things could change?  
Things'll go your way  
If you hold on for one more day **_

_The past Rika is so relieved that the battle is over, and uncharacteristically hugs Taomon, much to the Digimon's surprise. She realizes what she's just done and backs away._

_Rika:_

_**Can't you change it this time?  
Make up your mind **_

_RNR:_

_**Hold on  
Hold on  
Baby hold on **_

_As the video ends and the song fades, the Rika of the present gives the Rika of the past a thumbs up as the group walks away._


	33. Chapter 25: Go Ask Alice

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 25: Go Ask Alice

Greg

Renamon had to verbally knock some sense into my dad to calm him down. "Thanks Mom and Dad, if Guilmon could sit up I'm sure he'd thank you too," Takato said. Just then, his D-Arc went off. All the parents looked concerned. Mine started going off as well. Soon, so did everyone else's. I took mine out. "I'm getting a huge activity reading," Henry reported. "Same here," Ed echoed. "Renamon, what's going on?" Rika asked. "I'll find out," her Digimon announced as she disappeared. Takato turned to a now stuffed Guilmon. "Let's go boy," he said. "Veemon, it's showtime," I agreed. Just then, our parents stood up. Takato tried to explain. "We're sorry, we didn't want this to happen, honest, but we...we have to...to leave." "We've discussed it and we decided we don't want you to go," Mr. Matsuki said. "But we have to!" Anya argued. "The fact is any other kid would never be allowed to rush into danger like this and you know it. But, you're not any other kid. You're all very special. And whether we like it or not, you're free to do what you think is right." Dad still looked very sullen about the whole thing. "I hope you're all prepared to face the consequences," he grumbled. Each of our parents, except Ed's, came to us. Mr. Matsuki held Takato's hands while Mrs. Matsuki hugged him. "Honestly, between you and your father it's a wonder my hair hasn't gone totally gray," she said. Mrs. Wong hugged Henry. "I almost lost you once Henry, and the thought of losing you again is too much." Then she let go. "But this is just too important for me to stop you." "Really? Thanks, Mom," Henry said. Anya's father was next. "Anya, your mother and I will pray for your safety." The two embraced. "Oh thank you, Papa," she replied. Mom gave me a hug. "Oh good luck, Greg. I hope you make it. I just want you to know that I love you," she said. "I love you too," I returned. "You're OK with this, Mom?" Rika asked her mother. "Of course I'm not, I wish you had nothing to do with any of this. I wish you were still a baby I could keep safely at home." Then she hugged Rika. "But you're not, are you?" After we finished embracing our folks, we stepped outside. Rika's grandmother spoke next. "It's hard to think while other kids are out playing tag you're out saving the world. With all our worrying we probably haven't told you how proud we are of you. Well, we are." "Speak for yourself," Dad snarked. Mr. Matsuki and Mom gave him the death stare. Rika's grandmother continued. "But if you don't come home in one piece you're all in big trouble, got it?" "Got it!" we answered in unison.

Takato took out his D-Arc and his Digivolution card. "Ready boy?" he asked his Digimon. "My stomach says no... but I say yes!" Guilmon affirmed. The rest of us took out the cards we wanted to use. Anya went first as she scanned her Digivolution card. "Digi-Modify! Digivolution Activate!"

**DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Lalamon Digivolve to... Sunflowmon!"

Ed went next. "Digi-Modify! Digivolution Activate!"

**DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Coronamon Digivolve to... Firamon!"

Then it was my turn. I decided to show off Raidramon. "Check this out. Ready, Veemon?" "You bet!" he answered. I spun the card and got things rolling. "Digi-Modify! DigiEgg of Friendship Activate!"

**ARMOR DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Veemon Armor Digivolve to... Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!"

Henry and Takato Digivolved their Digimon. By the time everything was shouted and scanned, there were 5 large Digimon in Rika's front yard. The three main Tamers (Takato, Henry, and Rika) climbed on Growlmon. Ed mounted Firamon, Anya climbed on Sunflowmon, and I mounted Raidramon. "Good thing you don't need a license to ride a Digimon," I joked. I held onto the grips and nudged my foot on Raidramon's side. We went off. I let go of a grip and waved to them as we sped off.

[BGM: _"Miami Vice Theme"_ by Jan Hammer]

About 10 minutes later, we arrived at a bridge. Henry observed the situation. "It's over there!" he shouted. Sure enough, there were two more freaks firing bubbles of Chaos. Gargomon loaded up his gun. "All right, who's up for a round of target practice?" he asked as he jumped on Growlmon's head. The large T-Rex type Digimon gave him a running start, then he jumped off. "Gargo Laser!" He fired the vulcans on both of his arms, destroying one of the monsters. "Pyro Blaster!" Growlmon shouted as he shot a fireball from his mouth. It killed another monster. Raidramon charged up the blade on his forehead. "Lightning Blade!" A bolt of electricity shot from it, maiming multiple monsters. "Cactus Tail!" Sunflowmon waved her tail, releasing deadly thorns. "Fira Bomb!" Firamon focused power into his forehead and unleashed a flaming bomb. Kyubimon got closer. "They're after something!" she called. Raidramon and I got closer. It looked like a blonde girl with pale skin in a Gothic dress followed by a Doberman Pinscher. We went closer towards them. "Kyubimon!" Rika called. "Fox Tail Inferno!" The blue flames on her tails became brighter, and ghostly faces appeared on them. The faces then became small fireballs which she launched at her opponents to destroy them in an explosion of energy as well as trap them in a cage of blue flames which singed them. "Aww man, we were going to get to them first," Raidramon grumbled.

The others ran up to the girl , now on the floor. "Good going!" Rika cheered. "Hey, uh are you okay?" Henry asked. "Who are you? Is that you Jeri?" Takato asked. She got up and stood next to her dog. The two of them stared at us. "I don't think Jeri's a blonde," Ed noted. The blonde spoke. "You're the Tamers. We've been searching for you." "That would be us, do we know you?" Takato inquired. "I know you," the blonde answered. "How about a little more information there, Blondie?" Rika asked again. Growlmon got Takato's attention. "That's no doggy, that's a Digimon," he said. "A Digimon?" I asked. I unclipped my D-Arc and pointed it at the Doberman. Sure enough, the information came up. "Growlmon's right, guys. 'Dobermon, Champion level. A ferocious Digimon that exists solely for hunting Virus Digimon. It can't be controlled by an ordinary Tamer.' Hmmm? So that means..." I turned to the girl. "What's your name?" "Alice," she replied. I dismounted Raidramon, who quickly reverted back to Veemon. I then approached the girl and introduced ourselves. "Alice? That's an interesting name. My name's Greg. This is Veemon. That's Anya, Sunflowmon, Ed, Firamon, Takato, Growlmon, Henry, Gargomon, Rika, and Kyubimon." I offered my hand. She didn't accept. Dobermon growled. "Your partner looks kinda tense there," Henry nervously observed. Alice went to pet her Digimon. After a gentle hand on his face, he calmed down. "Dobermon's just on his guard. He's been hunted mercilessly ever since he arrived in the Real World. It wants to stop him, from his quest." "What is his quest?" Anya asked. "To deliver...a message," Dobermon replied through his clenched teeth. This sparked interest in the group. "A message? From who?" Takato asked. Just then, a pair of long arms wrapped around the bridge and created a net. It also fired laser beams that melted a part of the bridge. We started rushing up the bridge. Gargomon shots at the hands and more bubble-shooting monsters appeared.

They say that once you get in enough danger, your adrenaline kicks in and some awesome stuff happens. That's what happened to us as we drew out our Blue Cards. We got our D-Arcs ready. "DIGI-MODIFY! MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATE!"

**MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Gargomon Matrix Digivolve to... Rapidmon!"

"Growlmon Matrix Digivolve to... WarGrowlmon!"

"Kyubimon Matrix Digivolve to... Taomon!"

"Veemon Matrix Digivolve to... Magnamon!"

"Sunflowmon Matrix Digivolve to... Lilamon!"

"Firamon Matrix Digivolve to... Flaremon!"

Taomon painted another Talisman of Light, which hit and killed the bubble-blowing beasts. The Creepy Hands went for WarGrowlmon but he grabbed them. Unfortunately, the monster head butts WarGrowlmon. Magnamon went all out. "Magna Blaster!" Unfortunately, it didn't do him a bit of good as Chaos bubbles deflected and absorbed the attack. Not even Rapidmon's Tri-Beam helped as the hands smashed him to the ground. Our Digimon put up a good struggle, but it was quickly proving to not be enough.

"That thing's way too strong, we gotta biomerge now," Takato urged. "We can't, this isn't the Digital World. Our partners are data but we're not, there's no way we can biomerge here," Henry answered hopelessly. "There is a way," Alice said. We turned around in shock. "That's why I'm here. That's why I brought him." "Huh?" we asked. Dobermon spoke. "This is my quest, I was sent here by the Digimon Sovereign to help you." He turned to his apparent Tamer. "Thank you Alice, but you know what I must do," he said. "Uh, I know," Alice nodded. "I'll never forget what you've done... for all of us." He leaped into the air and started flying upward. "The Digimon Sovereign are fighting the enemy in the Digital World, but the enemy's most evolved part has emerged way toward here in your world. Only you, the Tamers, can stop it by fighting as one with your digimon. To aid you, I bring a gift from the Digimon Sovereign." Dobermon's body turned into pink light as he shot up more. "Remember, the fate of the world lies in your hands!" He split up into six beams of different colored light. Alice looked up helplessly at the situation. "Dobermon..." Just then, the ground started to shake as the beams of light swirled around. "What's happening?" Takato asked. "I'm not sure, but I think he's giving us the power to biomerge," Henry realized. "The let's do it before it's too late," Rika suggested. I grinned. "Sounds like a plan to me," I said. Anya nodded. "Mm hm." "A_ luta continua!_"* Ed shouted. Takato backed up. "Dobermon's right, we're the only ones who have any chance of saving this world. WarGrowlmon let's do it!" he shouted. "Rapidmon!" "Taomon!" "Magnamon, let's go!" "Lilamon, to battle!" "Flaremon, it's showtime!" We held up our D-Arcs into the sky.

* * *

Takato

This doesn't work we're sunk.

* * *

* _a luta continua!_– a rallying cry used during the anti-Apartheid struggle (and during Mozambique's war for independence). [Port. for "the struggle continues".]


	34. Chapter 26: In the Grid

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

_Previously on Digimon Tamers International..._

Greg

"That thing's way too strong, we gotta biomerge now," Takato urged. "We can't, this isn't the Digital World. Our partners are data but we're not, there's no way we can biomerge here," Henry answered hopelessly. "There is a way," Alice said. We turned around in shock. "That's why I'm here. That's why I brought him." "Huh?" we asked. Dobermon spoke. "This is my quest, I was sent here by the Digimon Sovereign to help you." He turned to his apparent Tamer. "Thank you Alice, but you know what I must do," he said. "Uh, I know," Alice nodded. "I'll never forget what you've done... for all of us." He leaped into the air and started flying upward. "The Digimon Sovereign are fighting the enemy in the Digital World, but the enemy's most evolved part has emerged way toward here in your world. Only you, the Tamers, can stop it by fighting as one with your digimon. To aid you, I bring a gift from the Digimon Sovereign." Dobermon's body turned into pink light as he shot up more. "Remember, the fate of the world lies in your hands!" He split up into six beams of different colored light. Alice looked up helplessly at the situation. "Dobermon..." Just then, the ground started to shake as the beams of light swirled around. "What's happening?" Takato asked. "I'm not sure, but I think he's giving us the power to biomerge," Henry realized. "The let's do it before it's too late," Rika suggested. I grinned. "Sounds like a plan to me," I said. Anya nodded. "Mm hm." "A_ luta continua!_"* Ed shouted. Takato backed up. "Dobermon's right, we're the only ones who have any chance of saving this world. WarGrowlmon let's do it!" he shouted. "Rapidmon!" "Taomon!" "Magnamon, let's go!" "Lilamon, to battle!" "Flaremon, it's showtime!" We held up our D-Arcs into the sky.

* * *

Chapter 26: In the Grid

Henry

_(In Henry's mind he's standing naked with his eyes closed then he opens them and he has green checkered boxes running across his body and he's on a floor that's green with light green boxes running across it.)_

I think I was pretty selfish when I was younger. I had so many brothers and sisters, the only way I could be heard was to assert myself. When I learned martial arts from Sensei, he taught me that we learn to fight in order to avoid fighting. But I used my power against a neighborhood kid and I hurt him. After that I always felt that I had to hold back, that fighting was wrong. But this is different, this is a battle that means something.

_(His D-Arc glows in his hand.)_

Fighting for a purpose is different than just fighting to fight. This is something I have to do, something only Terriermon, my friends, and I can do.

_(Henry glows white with a green border. )_

* * *

[BGM: Heavy Metal Guitar Instrumental Variation of "One Vision" by Takayoshi Tanimoto]

**BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION_**

_The screen zooms out from the D-Arc to reveal Henry against a green background. "Biomerge Activate!" Henry shouts as he holds his D-Arc up. He quickly moves his arms in a pattern so his left fist is under his right elbow, and his right hand is holding his D-Arc to his head. Then, his clothes and shoes are placed in digital storage and disappear from his body. His eyes are forced closed and his body becomes relaxed. Go figure. "Terriermon Biomerge to..." Henry's naked body falls backwards into his Digimon as the two become one. Terriermon's short stubby hands are replaced with long, thin, mechanical ones as green armor is clamped on. At the front of his wrist is a gun that is loaded with bullets. It's the same way with his feet. His chest becomes larger and covered with green armor and a pair of missile cannons appear on his shoulders. Terriermon's head is replaced by Gargomon and Rapidmon's heads before switching to a green armored dog head with wings sticking out. Henry's face and upper chest look on. _

_For the finale, this new giant robotic hybrid jumps up and does a kick with his left foot before he lands on both feet. The camera goes up and we see this humongous Digimon stand at attention in a CG city. "MegaGargomon!"_

* * *

Rika

_(Same as Henry, except we switch green for blue.)_

Sometimes, I can't believe I'm the same person who thought about fighting Digimon and downloading their data. Being the best was the only thing that mattered. But now that I'm friends with Henry and Takato and the others, I realize that there's more to life than just fighting. And that there's courage and friendship too. What makes it tough now is that I have to worry about someone else besides just me. Now, I don't know if I want to fight at all, after seeing all the pain it's caused. I mean, look at Jeri. But this isn't really about fighting, it's about having the strength to do what needs to be done to save the world!

* * *

[BGM: Calm Soothing Instrumental Variation of "One Vision" by Takayoshi Tanimoto]

**BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION_**

_The screen zooms out from the D-Arc to reveal Rika against a blue background. "Biomerge Activate!" Rika calls as she holds up her D-Arc. Then, she closes her eyes and brings it down over the blue full heart piece on her blouse. She holds it there tightly with both hands as it glows a blue light. Then, her clothes, her pineapple ponytail, and the D-Arc are put in digital storage as fractal code covers her now-naked body. The light seems to be brighter in the center, probably so we don't get a peep show. _

"_Renamon Biomerge To..." Their bodies merge as the camera shifts to a scene of a slightly cloudy night sky with a full moon. It's actually water as Renamon's feet are lowered into it. A scene of cherry blossoms against a night sky becomes water as Renamon's hand reaches inside becoming longer and sleeker. A rippling reflection of Renamon's body becomes a dark-skinned woman with a mask-clad face looking away. She turns toward us and thrusts her hand out, firing beams of different colors from the water. These beams wrap around her body as the camera zooms in. They reveal bits and pieces of this new Digimon's armor. Reflections of Kyubimon and Taomon shift aside to reveal a woman holding her hand in front of her face. She slowly removes it to reveal her face. Rika's head looks on as the camera reveals the upper profile of an armor-clad and well-endowed female Digimon. She jumps up to cover the moon, flips, and lands on her feet on a shield that ripples in the ground. She quickly spins with her scepter and reveals her name. "Sakuyamon!"_

* * *

Takato

_(Switching blue for red this time.)_

The first time I bio-merged with Guilmon I didn't have a clue what was going on, I mean, I always knew I had an active imagination, but I never dreamed I'd actually become a Digimon. But then when we merged and I felt Guilmon's strength flowing through me, it was like a feeling of safety and strength unlike anything I've ever known. Thanks to him I know what it is to feel a part of something much greater than myself. And now, the fate of not one but two worlds rests on our shoulders. But I know I can do it. As long as I have my friends, all my friends, by my side, nothing's gonna tear us apart. Nothing.

* * *

[BGM: Guitar Instrumental Version of "One Vision" by Takayoshi Tanimoto]

**BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION_**

_The screen zooms out from the D-Arc to reveal Takato against a red background. "Biomerge Activate!" Takato shouts. His left fist is clenched. He holds the D-Arc to his heart, causing fractal code to cover his now naked body._ _Again his clothes, shoes, and goggles are put into digital storage._

"_Guilmon Biomerge to..." Takato's naked body falls into Guilmon's, with dots connecting at parallel locations. Guilmon's claws disintegrate as they become gloved hands. His back foot becomes a boot. The hazard symbol-laden chest explodes to become armor. Guilmon's, Growlmon's, and WarGrowlmon's faces switch until they become the face of a knight with a dragon hat. Takato's head looks on._

_For the finale, the Digimon cups his glowing left hand, then clenches his fist. The fist transforms into a lance. This new Digimon, now equipped with lance and shield, soars through the sky. "Gallantmon!"_

* * *

Greg

_(Switching red for platinum.)_

OK... this is weird. Where am I?

"_You're somewhere inside your mind, in the Digital Grid."_

The Digital Grid? Wait a minute... I've got so many questions. Who are you? And why does your voice sound so familiar?

"_Here's a hint. 'Let me ask you something, Ichijouji. Don't you think it's time you gave up on this little charade? It's getting old.'"_

Oh yeah, you're T.K.!

"_Ha ha ha, you're partially right. My name's Doug Erholtz. I'm your English voice actor."_

Oh, good. Nice to meet you. Wait, am I talking to myself?

"_Yeah, and that means I'm crazy. Ha ha ha. Really, I've had a good time. You provide just enough of a challenge for me. Of course, you just had to drag me into familiar territory with that deconstruction of hope. I might use that for a dramatic monologue the next time I audition."_

Oh man... (_Greg looks down) _Um... why am I naked?

"_Yeah, about that... you're not actually naked. We can't actually show your entire naked body. The FCC would kill us. Anyway, the reason you're here in this grid is so you can make your World of Cardboard speech and then Biomerge with Veemon." _

Yeah, I know. Finally! I wonder what Digimon we'll Biomerge into... oh wait a sec. This is too much of a short notice, Doug. I haven't had too much time to think of one of those poses.

"_Don't worry about it. Just go with the flow and it'll come to you. Now, while you're thinking of your speech, I might as well let you know what's going on. You look kinda clueless."_

Of course I'm clueless, Doug. This is a new experience for me.

"_Right. OK, you're still thinking of your speech, right? It's probably going to be about not giving up hope."_

Um, yeah.

"_Why am I not surprised? While you're thinking of that, I'll tell you what's going on. Takato, Henry, Rika, Ed, and Anya are going through the same experience you are. They're in the Digital Grid, and they're being charged up with data."_

Data?

"_Yes. We- actually, the Digimon Sovereign, are calibrating your body so it can effectively merge with Veemon's. You're made up of cells and actual physical matter. Veemon's made up of ones and zeroes. So what we're doing is radiating your body with data. Right now it's just coating your body in a thin layer. You'll hardly even notice it. (pause) Are you still thinking?"_

I think I may have something.

"_Great. Fire away." _

(pause) Whew, what a wild ride this has been. When I first met Veemon, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I met all kinds of new friends, saw some spectacular things, and now I'm about to become part-Digimon! My life has changed in so many ways, and seemingly all of them for the better. Only thing is, now it's all being put in jeopardy. That's why Veemon and I have to beat this D-Reaper. Together. I know this is going to sound incredibly tacky, but as long as I have my friends and Veemon, there's still a chance. There's still hope. I could bail, but I'm not. I have to stay. No, I _choose_ to stay. I won't leave them behind now, not when we've come this far. Things _will _get better, I know it.

(_Greg's D-Arc glows in his hand)_

Hmmm? _(He holds it up) _My D-Arc. It's so warm. My whole body feels warm, especially my heart. This must be...

"_The power of hope?"_

Yeah. It feels good. By the way, where's Veemon?

"_He's getting calibrated as well. Now, keep holding on to that feeling. Keep that in your heart and let it flow through your soul. The loyalty you have for your friends combined with the hope you're feeling right now will become courage, and that will guide you to the greatest power of all."_

Which is...?

"_...Well, look at the time, I better be going. Good luck."_

Thanks, Doug. Oh wait, I've got one more question. What is T.K. short for?

"_As near as I can figure, it's Takeru."_

OK. Thanks again. _(Doug exits) _All right. That was... interesting. Oh yeah, hope. Gotta keep that flowing through the soul. _(Greg closes his eyes and clenches his fist) _Oh yeah...

* * *

[BGM: "Beat Hit" by Ayumi Miyazaki]

[Alt BGM: Progressive Rock Orchestral Instrumental Version of "One Vision" by Takayoshi Tanimoto]

**BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION_**

_The screen zooms out from the D-Arc to reveal Greg against a platinum background. "Biomerge Activate!" Greg shouts as he holds his D-Arc high in the air with his right hand. His left arm is extended to the side. He brings the D-Arc down and in front of him. His left arm is now pulled back to the side, with his left hand in a fist. He quickly reels the D-Arc-equipped right hand in toward his heart while extending his left hand and arm out. As the D-Arc touches him, he is forced into a state of relaxation as his clothes and glasses disappear. Fractal code covers his body as his eyes close. _

_"Veemon Biomerge to..." Greg's and Veemon's naked bodies merge to become one. Veemon's front hands and arms expand, become armor-clad and gain long, sharp, golden nails. His tail extends and expands. His feet disintegrate and become larger, armor-clad back paws. This body becomes covered in black and gold armor and has a large cannon positioned on his back. Veemon's, ExVeemon's, and Magnamon's heads quickly switch out until they become a dragonesque head covered with shaggy white locks. Greg's head and upper chest look on. _

_For the finale, this new Digimon __launches a ball of energy at an enemy stronghold in a forest, causing a semi-nuclear explosion effect. He poses and roars._ _"Imperialdramon!"_

* * *

Anya

(_Switching platinum for pink)_

This is quite a unique experience.

"_Still keeping up with that Russian accent?"_

You question my accent?

"_No. I'm the one who gave it to you. The name's Kate Higgins, and I'm actually from Virginia. In America. I'm your English voice actress."_

Oh? Why were you chosen?

"_Because the producers thought Kath Soucie's Russian accent was too recognizable. Anyway, I should let you know what's going on. Takato, Henry, Rika, Ed, and Greg are going through the same experience you are. They're in the Digital Grid, and they're being charged up with data. The Digimon Sovereign are calibrating your body so it can effectively merge with Lalamon's. You're made up of cells and actual physical matter. Lalamon's made up of ones and zeroes."_

Somehow, I knew all that.

"_Right. So what we're doing is radiating your body with data. Right now it's just coating your body in a thin layer. You'll hardly even notice it. It's not going to interfere with anything at all. Now while we're doing that, you must come up with a speech." _

A speech? On what?

"_On your feelings, of course. You're about to jump into the biggest fight of your life. Besides, we're girls. We're supposed to be all touchy-feely anyway. It's part of our sweet, innocent nature."_

And what of the movements? How will I know what to do when the time comes?

"_That's what they have writers for. I'll be leaving now. I've got to make some herbal tea. I think I'll need it." (Kate leaves)_

How strange all of this has been. I could be considered a soldier of sorts, and I have learned so much. I have learned to become open, to sincerely show my feelings to others, and I have learned of compassion. I have tried to create bonds with Lalamon and with my comrades in arms. Maybe I've spent too much time thinking logically and not enough time following my heart. I need to open my heart to love. That is what I will do. I'll act more on my feelings.

_(Anya's D-Arc glows in her hand)_

What is this? What is this sudden warmth I feel in my heart? It's flowing through my entire body. _(she holds it up) _Ah, this must be it.

"_That's your heart being unlocked with the power of sincerity, or in the original Japanese version, purity. It's about the same thing. Now, allow it to flow through your soul. With it, you'll find the strength you need to defeat your enemies. Good luck." (Kate leaves again)_

The power of purity. This, I will treasure. _(Anya closes her eyes, holds her D-Arc close to her and kisses the top of it, holding it dear to her heart)_

* * *

[BGM: String Concerto Instrumental Variation of "One Vision" by Takayoshi Tanimoto]

**BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION_**

_The screen zooms out from the D-Arc to reveal Anya against a pink background. "Biomerge Activate!" she shouts as she brings both hands out in front of her, with her D-Arc-equipped right hand below her extended left. She pulls her left arm back and makes a circular motion with her right arm. Then she brings her D-Arc-equipped right hand to her body, causing her clothes to be put in digital storage and fractal code to cover her body. Again, the lighting covers her torso, so we don't get a peep show._

"_Lalamon Biomerge to..." Their bodies merge as the camera shifts to a scene of a garden full of roses just about to bloom. Lalamon's body blooms into Sunflowmon and then Lilamon. However, Lilamon's top flower hat blows off its head as it turns around, curls up, and changes color. Suddenly, the camera zooms into a patch of blooming roses. We zoom past the roses to reveal a beautiful, well-endowed woman dressed in an outfit resembling a rose. She wears on her breast a "Tifaret", a jewel which is engraved with the symbol of love and beauty. Anya's head looks on. _

_For her finale, she sniffs a rose, then quickly puts it to the side as the stem expands and the petals drop to reveal a thorny whip. She cracks it on the ground. "Rosemon!"_

* * *

Ed

(_Switching pink for burgundy)_

Now what's going on here?

"_Hello, Ed."_

And who are you?

"_They call me many things, but my official name is Vic Mignogna. Do you know where you got your awesome pipes from?"_

Um, years of practice and training?

"_Yeah, my practice and training. I'm your English voice actor. It was either me, or Spike Spencer. And Spike can't sing Robert Palmer as well as I can." (Vic clears his throat) "Anyway... Takato, Henry, Rika, Anya, and Greg are going through the same experience you are. They're in the Digital Grid, and they're being charged up with data. The Digimon Sovereign are calibrating your body so it can effectively merge with Coronamon's."_

There's no possible way they're going through the exact same thing.

"_Oh you'd be surprised. So what we're doing is radiating your body with data. Right now it's just coating your body in a thin layer. You'll hardly even notice it." _

Honest?

"_Ed, I'm your voice actor. I basically am you. Would I lie to my own character?"_

You're an actor. Lying to yourself is part of the trade. _Would you_ lie to your own character?

"_...No I wouldn't. Now Ed, you've gotta think of a speech. A one-minute dramatic monologue. Piece of cake." (Vic leaves)_

All right. I've gotten to thinking. My Digimon, Coronamon, has the element of fire. Typically, fire represents the trait of Courage. As an actor and a performer, I need courage every single day. I'm learning quickly that I've got to choose my own destiny. Even with Coronamon, I'm alone. But that's not going to happen anymore. When all this is said and done, I'm going to invite more people into my life. My career's already shot, but this gives me a chance to start over. That's what I'll do. I'll start over and make my own way in life, building my own relationships. I may be down, but I'm not out!

_(Ed's D-Arc glows in his hand) _That's it. That must be a sign from Coronamon. Those are the fires of my soul, reaching into the very depths of my heart.

"_Yes, Ed. The flames of courage. You have the courage to move on with your life and not to give into despair."_

I'm not planning on letting these flames die.

* * *

[BGM: New Age Instrumental Version of "One Vision" by Takayoshi Tanimoto]

**BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION_**

_The screen zooms out from the D-Arc to reveal Ed against a burgundy background. "Biomerge Activate!" he shouts. He holds the D-Arc in his right hand as he holds the stringboard of his air guitar with his left hand. He swings his right arm down as if he's doing a theatrical "windmill" strum. A power chord is heard as this is happening. As the D-Arc comes back to the top, Ed reels it back in toward his heart, causing his clothes and accessories to be put in digital storage and his body to be relaxed._

"_Coronamon Biomerge to..." Ed's naked body falls into Coronamon's, with dots connecting at parallel locations. The viewer is transported to an ancient Roman shrine, the shrine of Apollo to be exact. The flame is burning bright as Coronamon jumps into the flame, then flip jumps his way out, quickly transforming into Firamon and Flaremon before the final stage occurs. The mane becomes longer. Flaremon's feet shrink in order for his new clawed sandals to fit. Fire covers his body, quickly fading to reveal armor. Ed's head looks on. _

_For his finale, the screen is covered in flame that rises, and then falls. This new Digimon jumps over the flame landing on the ground, his arms crossed until he roars and punches the air with burning claws, shooting one blast of fire forward. He poses in a fighting stance. "Apollomon!"_

* * *

For those of you playing the home version of my fanfic...

If you're trying to copy Anya's Biomerge pose, look on YouTube for a transformation sequence from _Yes! Pretty Cure 5._

If you're trying to copy Greg's Biomerge pose, look on YouTube for a DigiXros sequence from _Digimon Xros Wars. _In particular, look for the Shoutmon X2 DigiXros. Then, rather than thrust the Digivice forward, pull it back and thrust your empty hand forward. Or, just do it the normal way, whichever is more convenient for you.

Can anyone identify whether I'm accurate music-wise for the main 3 Tamers? I'm pretty sure I am for Takato, but I'm not sure for Henry and Rika.


	35. Chapter 27: First Fight

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 27: First Fight

Greg

I had to rack my head around it. I wasn't sure I heard myself right. Did we really say "Imperialdramon?" I wasn't sure I was seeing things well enough. What was even stranger was that I didn't have my glasses! "Whoa... my vision must be improved while I'm in here. Not only that, but I feel great! All this energy and strength is flowing through my veins. This is incredible!" I shouted. "Oh yeah, I can feel you giving me power too, Greg," Veemon answered. "Hmmm? Me giving you power? That's awesome! Anyway, enough about that. Let's go kick some D-Reaper!" I cheered. Several screens came up in front of me, showing the battle scene along with the other Tamers in their data-spheres. Rika's screen came up. "Rika! What's up?" I asked. "I don't think you know this, but you're the only guy on four feet," she said. "Well of course I am, I'm Imperialdramon and..." I answered, realizing my problem. "Is there a problem?" Veemon asked. "Uh, no, just a technicality. Let's get this thing airborne," I directed. So we went up.

Henry's data-sphere came up. "All right, let's show this thing it can't push us around!" he called. "Well you know, any more than it already has," Terriermon added. "Right, Green Battlezord," I confirmed. "Ugh, now's not a good time for making up code names." "Oh, all right." Anya checked in. "This is Rosemon, and I am, as they say in your country, ready to rock," she said. Soon, all of the Biomerged Tamers checked in to me, then we checked in with Takato.

* * *

Takato

I got the battle underway. I stood there, arms crossed. "We can't let Dobermon's gift be in vain. The D-Reaper's gotta be stopped, now!" I said called. Guilmon added to it. "You hear that, you big ball of badness? I'm drawing a line in the sand, well in the air!" I held out my arm and it transformed into my lance. "And you won't get past it!" Then, we jumped. Inside the data-sphere, I had nearly complete motion control. So, I thrust my fist forward. "Rah! Lightning Joust!" The electrical shot blew up a number of Bubbles.

Sakuyamon swung her staff, creating a circular barrier. "Crystal Sphere!" It expanded to destroy more monsters. MegaGargomon opened up his armor and fired all his weapons. "Mega Barrage!"

* * *

Greg

I quickly figured out that you could get a real workout just by operating the system. My real problem was that humans have 2 legs, and Imperialdramon has 4. "Come on, Greg. Think. You want to fire a laser at these guys, how do you do it?" I thought out loud. It's a wave of energy, sort of like that move Goku used on Dragon Ball Z. "That's it!" I cupped my hands together and drew them at my side. "Lock on targets!" Veemon and I locked on the targets. "Here we go! Positron..." I held it for a few seconds, then thrust my hands forward to shoot out a streaming, powerful beam of energy. "LASER!" I felt the energy escape from my hands, and that translated into the cannon on our back. Now for those of you who don't know what a positron is, I'll explain it the same way Mr. Wong explained it to me. I had to ask him about it after the fight. It's the counterpart of the electron. When a low-energy positron collides with a low-energy electron, annihilation occurs (or in other words, BOOM!). That's just what happened with a large number of those bubble-blowing and large-handed freaks. However, more just kept coming, so I did it again.

* * *

Ed

This was totally rop*. I couldn't fly, but that didn't matter. There were plenty of enemies on the ground, so I started slashing away with my claws. A number of those bird-like creatures came up to me, so I slashed away at them too. I couldn't fly, but I discovered I could run and slash at an incredible speed. The thing is, they just kept coming and coming.

* * *

Anya

This power is amazing. I've never experienced anything like it, and I do not believe Lalamon had either. We had to use this the best way we knew how. So, inside my data-sphere, I grabbed the imaginary handle of the whip and swung this "whip" around. To be completely candid, most of our attacks were improvised. "Thorn Whipping!" we shouted as we beat a creature with large hands. Instantly, he was subdued. I convinced him to beat his comrades. And the creatures kept coming and coming.

* * *

Greg

I discovered a new attack. By fashioning my hand into a claw and slashing away at the air, we could use the Splendor Blade attack. That did a lot of damage. Every once in a while, I had to scream just to add a bit more firepower. I looked in Henry's data-sphere. He was practicing his Tai Chi and yelling at the top of his lungs. "Let's get him!" he shouted. Then, MegaGargomon started running toward another big-handed monster. "I'm gettin', I'm gettin'!" Terriermon called back. The giant mecha punched down toward it. "Power Pummel!" The great thing about performing all your attacks in the data-sphere was that you got a workout but you didn't get as tired as quickly. It created a giant dent by the train tracks. "Hey, hey, did that actually work?" Terriermon asked. Of course, his question would soon be answered when the big-handed creature we'll now refer to as "Creepy Hands" wrapped his ears all around MegaGargomon. "Huh, of course not," Henry mused. Creepy Hands used that to help him up out of the crater and then started strangling him. I would've been there, but I had enough trouble as is keeping those Bubbles at bay.

* * *

Kenta

What!? How'd Gallantmon and the others get in the real world? And that- that's IMPERIALDRAMON! How'd he get there?! I can't believe I'm sitting here watching this and not fighting. Thinking about it, I got screwed! Big time! MarineAngemon's already a Mega which means I can't biomerge with it. It has only one lousy attack. Oh why couldn't I have gotten a Gomamon or something like that? I mean COME ON!

So there I sat at home, watching the whole thing on TV. "Some wonder whether these Digimon are truly helpful or will ultimately turn on humanity. But for now the city has adopted the policy 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' and is watching wearily to see what will happen next," the anchorman reported. MarineAngemon turned to me. "What's that mean?" he asked. "That they don't know a good thing when they see it," I answered.

* * *

Lopmon

Henry said Suzie and I couldn't fight because we weren't strong enough. So, we watched the whole fight from the TV in Sensei's house. "The battle continues to rage with ferocious violence, shaking the buildings with each attack," the man on the TV said. "Henwy..." Suzie moaned, gripping me tighter. I managed to escape from her grasp and jumped down from the chair. "Where are you going?" she asked her. "Suzie, I can't just sit here and watch this on TV anymore. We can't ignore this battle," I said, turning, "Those are our friends and our family that are fighting out there Suzie, they need help and you're the only who can give me strength." "Me?" she asked. "Yes, you're my Tamer, it's time to act like one." So she looked in her little purse for her D-Arc. "Do I need a jacket?" she asked. I shook my head. So, we went outside.

"Now Suzie, I need you to concentrate. Give me some of your power, and I'll Digivolve." "How do I do that?" she asked. Aw, nuts. That's right. How was I going to get any energy from a preschooler? I had to think about it. "Hmmm... I've got an idea. Hold up your D-Arc." She did. "Now close your eyes, focus as hard as you can, and wish for me to Digivolve," I instructed. Suzie closed her eyes and nodded. "I wish my bunny Lopmon could Digivolve!" she called. That did it. She focused so much into her desire that I was able to get some energy from her.

**WARP DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Lopmon Warp Digivolve to... Antylamon!"

Suzie

"Great job, Suzie," Antylamon said. "Be careful, Antylamon!" I shouted up to her. She nodded and started walking toward the battle. Just then, I heard my sister Jaarin calling. "Suzie! It's time for Barney and Friends! Suzie? Uh, Suzie, thank goodness." She ran to me. "Suzie, you okay? What's going on? What happened to your friend, Lopmon? Huh?" I pointed to Antylamon, who was walking to the battle. "That's Antylamon. She'd say hi, but she's busy saving the world, and stuff," I said.

* * *

Takato

I was destroying more birds with our lance, when I heard something. "Oh no!" we groaned. I went into slight panic mode. "HENRY! Guilmon, he'll be erased!" I urged. So we dropped to the ground and started running. "I just hope I'm not too late," Guilmon said. We made it and jumped up. "Rah! No one's erasing my buddies!" We knocked Creepy Hands away with the shield and then turned to MegaGargomon. "You okay?" we asked. "Oh _yeah_, and here's a little gift to show the D-Reaper just how _okay_ I am," Terriermon snarked. He readied their missiles and fired them. "Mega Barrage!" Inside his data-sphere, Henry yelled some more. The missiles hit and damaged Creepy Hands. I lit up our shield. "Shield of the Just!" Then I punched across to fire the attack. That blast finally killed him. "See D-Reaper? We can take whatever you throw at us. So why don't you just give it up and surrender?" we asked together. Sakuyamon flew in. "Gallantmon we can't just talk to it, we must destroy it," Renamon said. "Sakuyamon's right! The time for talking's over!" MegaGargomon agreed. Imperialdramon finally made it to the scene. "Sorry we're late, got held up in traffic," he said. So, we flew into battle.

* * *

Greg

Just as we were about to attack that blob, it formed a hand and grabbed Gallantmon. "TAKATO!" I shouted. Then I charged up another Positron Laser attack. Sakuyamon started whacking away with her staff, but it didn't look like it was getting her anywhere. We locked about 3 feet below the actual palm. "Positron... LASER!" Just as it was about to hit, it looked like someone had cut a hole through it, allowing the attack to go through. "Huh?" Veemon asked. "How did that happen?" I asked. Inside Rika's data-sphere, she looked panicked too. "The D-Reaper's pulling him inside. Takato!" I looked inside Takato's sphere. He was freaking out. "Aw nuts!" he exclaimed. The hand pulled him in. "I'll go in and get him," Ed volunteered. "Are you crazy, Ed?!" Henry demanded to know. "Are you willing to step up?" Ed challenged. So, Apollomon made a running charge and jumped in. "Hiya!" And surprisingly, he made it through. Anya facepalmed. "Great. We're 2 men down," she mused. "They're down, but they're not deleted," Veemon and I replied.

* * *

Takato

I opened my eyes and saw the buildings being taken over. It was amazing, in a creepy kind of way. "I don't know what's more amazing, that we're inside the D-Reaper or that we're inside the D-Reaper and we're still alive," I said. "Takato! I don't know if I can hold our Mega form much longer," Guilmon whimpered. "What do you mean? We're gonna be deleted? " I asked. "No way! Well I don't think so, maybe. We'd better land." "Okay, but land someplace safe. Huh?" I saw the park and the sidewalk. At least they hadn't touched that. "Hey what about over there?" "Yeah, that looks safe. At least as safe as we can get in here," Guilmon said. As we got closer, we started to break off back into Tamer and Digimon. I tried landing on my hand, just like they do on TV, but I ended up landing on my stomach. I got up and dusted myself off.

* * *

Ed

We ran into the D-Reaper. "Ed?" "Yeah, Coronamon?" "I scheme* that we won't be able to hold our Mega Form much longer. I think we should power down now now*," Coronamon said. "OK, but we should hide," I suggested. So, we hid behind a tree and powered down.

* * *

*_rop_ – nice, radical. (e.g. "That was such a rop wave.") Also used as a verb meaning 'to steal'. (e.g. "I will rop you of that kief watch.")

_scheme_ – to think that (e.g. "I scheme we should go home now"; usage evolved from the hyperbole "What are you scheming?" asked of a person deep in thought.)

_now now_ – an immediate but not literal declaration of impending action, may be past or future tense. From the Afrikaans expression "nou nou". (as in 5–60 minutes)


	36. Chapter 28: Jeri Gets Her Wings

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 28: Jeri Gets Her Wings

Ryo

_(In Ryo's mind he's standing naked with his eyes closed then he opens them and he has indigo checkered boxes running across his body and he's on a floor that's indigo with light indigo boxes running across it.)_

It's hard to believe that my journey began with a single choice. Someone wanted my help, and I was the only one to respond. Since then, a lot's happened. I've been manipulated by people I thought were my friends. I've been forced into battles I never asked to be a part of. Someone actually had to take a metaphorical bullet for me. Well, it was a Dark Seed, but still. All because I was trying to do the right thing. Am I bitter about it? I was at first, but I've gotten over it. That's probably why I spend so much time alone. I'm not sure what to believe anymore. Do I let this bother me? No.

_(His D-Arc glows in his hand.)_

All I know is that I'm doing the right thing. In the end, that's all that matters.

_(Ryo glows white with an indigo border. )_

* * *

[BGM: Mike Rutherford-esque Rock Instrumental Version of "One Vision" by Takayoshi Tanimoto]

**BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION_**

_The screen zooms out from the D-Arc to reveal Ryo against an indigo background holding his D-Arc in his right hand. "Biomerge Activate!" Ryo shouts, as he throws his right arm at a diagonal to his right. Then he rotates it clockwise until it's a diagonal to his left, then he retracts it to his waist and thrusts out his left arm at a diagonal to his right. At this point, his clothes and accessories are put in digital storage. Ryo's body is forced into a state of relaxation as his eyes are shut. _

"_Cyberdramon Biomerge to..." Cyberdramon's and Ryo's bodies merge into one. The camera shifts into a blackened diagram of a young man's body. The armor forms around him, starting from the legs and moving up. A belt wraps around this person's waist and locks on. His right arm is given a metallic covering. For a moment, we can see Ryo's face as the helmet quickly slams shut. This new Digimon wraps a long red scarf around his neck, the ends blowing into the wind. _

_For the finale, this new Digimon stands behind a war-torn environment. He strikes a pose quite similar to the original Kamen Rider, ready to defend evil. "Justimon!"_

* * *

Takato

"I don't get it, why is there any place that looks safe in here?" I asked. Guilmon and I started walking along looking for clues. "Hey, why isn't it eating the trees the way it's eating the buildings? Does it hate vegetables?" I asked. "I dunno," Guilmon answered. Just then we heard a very voice. "The organic materials couldn't be analyzed." "Huh?" I turned around toward a tree. There was Jeri! "Jeri! What are you doing here? This is the most dangerous place there is, you shouldn't be...wait a minute, what _are_ you doing here?" I asked. Something looked off about her. She just stared into space with a determined look on her face. "Why did you run away before? Didn't you see me? Well, I guess it doesn't matter, I'm just glad you're all right. I've been worried about you." "Your concern is illogical. This being is in no physical danger, she's a very interesting sample." "Huh?" "It was easy to assimilate the being you call Jeri because her data was so similar to the D-Reaper. Her thoughts were focused on destruction and what you humans call sadness and despair." I started getting worried. "Jeri, what's the matter with you?" I grabbed her shoulders and tried to shake her out of it. "Snap out of it! This isn't funny!" She grew a large grin.

"She's proven to be invaluable in the D-Reaper's study of humans. But your kind does remain difficult to decipher." "Takato, that's not Jeri," Guilmon said. "What are you talking about Guilmon? Of course it is, just look at her," I said. "Takato it's not!" he insisted. She still had the same wicked grin on her face, and I didn't know why. It just had to be Jeri. "D-Reaper sampled the being known as Jeri in order to analyze the life forms that created the network...and the D-Reaper. You are confusing creatures, disorderly, illogical, and without respect for boundaries." "Stop talking that way Jeri!" I begged. Just then, she gained a red aura and I let her go. Then she started changing. Her hair spread out a little and the cracks in her leg grew as she did. She kept growing taller as she lifted her head and sprouted blue wings. "It's one of the D-Reaper's agents!" Guilmon growled as he got into fighting position. "Because of your apparent defects the D-Reaper has determined that all humans and Digimon are to be deleted immediately." "What are you saying?" I asked. I finally got it, she wasn't Jeri. I clenched my fists and became more direct. "Listen, tell me where Jeri is right now or you'll be sorry!" I threatened. She walked closer then stopped. "The D-Reaper is unable to be sorry or to be sad or happy, those emotions are part of the reasons humans are to be eliminated. You'd sacrifice yourself for Jeri, would you not? Your feelings of concern and compassion do nothing but make you weak." As she walked closer, a tree she passed died. I started walking backwards, still with fists clenched. "What you call weaknesses are what's gonna help us beat you!" I said. "Your defiance is pointless, you cannot win," the Jeri clone stated. "This isn't over, it's gonna take more than words to stop me!" I insisted. Just then, I heard a "pssst" from another tree. I turned toward it. It was Ed and Coronamon. The Jeri clone noticed too. "Hmmph. Your emotion will get you nowhere. The D-Reaper will delete everyone." She turned and walked away. I ran over to Ed and Coronamon.

"Guys, what are you doing here?" I asked. "We came to get you," Coronamon answered.

* * *

Greg

"They're taking an awfully long time in there," I said in Imperialdramon's voice. "We've gotta save Gallantmon and Apollomon before it's too late!" Terriermon urged. Henry questioned the whole thing inside his data-sphere."Yeah but how? We can't just..." "Look out below!" someone shouted. I quickly checked the outside view. A robot was flying in. It wasn't just any robot though, it was Guardromon! He brought Kazu with him! "Here comes the cavalry! Hey! Guys!" "It's Kazu!" Rika exclaimed. I facepalmed inside my data-sphere. Guardromon landed on the ground. "I've come to offer my help," he said. "Hm, it was my idea, ya big lug nut," Kazu grumbled. "Uh right. Huh?" Another Digimon landed on a nearby rooftop. "Typical, always someone stealin' my glory," Kazu griped. This Digimon looked like he walked out of Power Rangers. He stared at us. "And who might you be?" Sakuyamon asked. He jumped into the air. "A friend," the Digimon answered. Then he slowly floated down to a lower level. "A really shiny friend," Guardromon added. I tried looking him up with the built-in D-Arc interface. "I am Justimon, Cyberdramon's Mega form. Here to give the D-Reaper a taste of my Justice Kick!" he continued. He jumped up and kicked in the air, then he dropped again.

I finally pulled him up on the interface. It turns out I got another data-sphere signal. It was Ryo, with a huge smile on his face as usual. "What's happenin' guys?" he asked. "That's so typical. Can't you ever just walk in and say hello?" Rika snarked. "I had a feeling you needed my help. If we're going to save the others and take out the D-Reaper, it's going to take all of us working together." "Wait a sec, how'd you know Takato and Guilmon were in trouble?" I asked. Just then, something growled. We looked up, and a new green beetle-like agent jumped over a building. "Whoa, looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of reality," Terriermon said. "Everyone, scatter!" Justimon directed. I did, and so did Sakuyamon and Rosemon. MegaGargomon just stood there like a sitting duck. The green beetle knocked him down into the dirt! "Henry!" Kazu shouted. That was enough for Rika. I was looking inside her data-sphere, and she was ticked! "That is it! I am tired of this jerk smacking my friends around! You want a fight, let's fight!" she challenged. "Mind if I help?" I asked. Rika shrugged. I took that as a yes, so I set up for another Positron Cannon attack. The bug started moving in, but Justimon kicked him away. "Now get outta here!" he ordered. "Are you kidding? You can't beat the D-Reaper by yourself," Rika reasoned. "Yeah, Ryo. Now get outta the way! I've got an attack that just won't quit," I said. At last, it was at full power. Justimon got out of the way. "Positron... LASER!" The laser fired at the bug, and it was obliterated. Ryo's jaw dropped. "You pulled that off with a Kamehameha?" he asked. "Uh, yeah," I answered. Just then, another beetle appeared, ran and punched the platform Justimon was on. Justimon jumped up. "I can keep him busy," he said. "While we do what?" MegaGargomon asked while punching out another bubble blower. "While you guys rescue Gallantmon and Apollomon. Now go!" The beetle caught up with Justimon in the air and tackled him in the forest. "So what's your call, Veemon?" I asked. "I think we should help Ryo out," he answered. "You guys go on ahead, I'll meet you later," I said in Imperialdramon's voice. So, MegaGargomon, Rosemon, and Sakuyamon flew off while we went into the forest.

* * *

Yamaki

4:45 PM. We were still investigating the D-Reaper. Tally and I had our binoculars ready. "The red mass is expanding. The D-Reaper seems to be isolating our weaknesses and using them against us. Is there anything in the original programming that can help us?" I asked Shibumi. "So far, nothing," he answered. A few minutes later, Janyu had stumbled upon something. "Shibumi, I think I found something," he said. "What is it?" Shibumi inquired. "The D-Reaper's consciousness, the kernel of artificial intelligence," Janyu proudly reported. Shibumi walked to the screen and observed. "This changes everything, Janyu. We've been working under the assumption that the D-Reaper is two separate entities, one in the Digital World and one in the Real World." "But if the D-Reaper is a single entity with a single consciousness, then all of its agents must be plugged into and controlled by that consciousness," Janyu continued. "Correct. So if we can somehow sever that connection..." "Then the kids might just have a chance."

* * *

Ed

This was starting to get weirder and weirder. Something was wrong with Jeri, but we couldn't figure out what. Just then, a voice called out to me. "Ed..." "Huh?" I looked around for it, and I finally found the source. It was Jeri, or the clone version. "Ed, I know all about you," she purred. "You mean you watch _Harmony Street?" _I asked. "Why would I need to? Your mind's an open book just waiting to be read. Here's a riddle for you. Who's the only child in South Africa known by everyone and yet known by no one at the same time?" I had to think about that one. "Give up? It's _you_!" the Jeri clone answered. She snickered as she got closer and closer. I backed up. "You know why your parents didn't show up? They don't care." It stung, but I couldn't help but wonder if it was true.

My mind flashed back to the offices of M-Net, about a year prior to my entry into the Digital World. I was there with my father and various executives, renewing my contract as I do every year. One executive with a receding hairline spoke. "This year, Edward, we're offering you a great deal. Not only will you be elevated to star..." he said as he took a puff of his cigar, "but also supervising producer. Of course, your father's going to be your direct supervisor." "Do you want to know what I think?" I asked. The executive took another puff of his cigar. "Yeah sure, why not." "I'm only 11 years old, nearly a teenager. I've been in front of a camera my entire life, against my will. Maybe I should take a hiatus, focus on school. Maybe have a _normal childhood." _The exec nearly choked on his cigar smoke. "A _normal childhood?_ Do you know who you're the son of, son? You're the result of one of the biggest mergers in South African television. For you, a normal childhood doesn't exist!" My father, a tall man, stood up. He knew how to use every inch of his 6-foot-4 height to intimidate. Some people in Cape Town respected him because of it, others feared him. "Now see here, my son. You have an opportunity most children only dream of," he reprimanded. I found myself lip-synching to the very same statement. "Why aren't you grateful for... I saw that! How dare you mock me!" "Then why don't you _fire_ me? Make sure I never work in this town again." "Edward... I love you. It's just..." I threw my next statement at him like a sharpened knife. "You have a funny way of showing it." I turned away. "I'll renew my contract, but only because my hand's been forced." I took the contract, signed it, and walked away. It was the same thing, year after year.

"It's the same thing, year after year," the Jeri clone taunted. She was right. "You want the one thing that you'll never get... your parents' love and respect. Aha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Just then, everything started turning black.

* * *

Greg

The battle started getting intense in the forest as Ryo and I kept fighting off bubble blowers and green beetles. "Oh man..." "What's the matter? Getting tired?" Ryo asked. "You want the truth?" I shot back. Ryo nodded. "Yeah," I answered. "Hmm... there's got to be an easier way. Have you tried your Mega Crusher attack yet?" "No, I'm just thinking of the right moves for it. You watch a lot of Dragon Ball Z, don't you Ryo?" "Sure." "You know any cool moves that might represent Mega Crusher?" We kept slashing and blowing monsters up as we were discussing. "Hmmm... how about... the Masenko?" "The Masenko?" He demonstrated, and I got it. "OK, here goes nothing." I took aim, took a cleansing breath (whatever that is), and placed both hands above my head with the palms facing the target and one hand in front of the other with the fingers going in opposite directions. Then I held it for about 2 seconds and thrust my hands forward. "Mega Crusher!" If you've never fired a powerful attack like that, let me tell you. It's awesome! Draining, but awesome. The energy shot from my hands, and that translated into a ball of super-massive dark matter, swallowing everything within a dark space and completely annihilating everything within a radius of a few hundred meters around the impact-point of the dark matter. I think I took out the forest and a few blocks. I surveyed my surroundings and saw what Veemon and I, as ImperialDramon, had wrought. "Dang... there goes my allowance for the next..." I quickly counted on my fingers. "...50 years."

* * *

Takato

I heard her laugh, but I just couldn't figure out where she was. "Jeri, where are you?" I called out to her. Her sock puppet peeked out from behind a tree. "Ta, ka, to," it said. I turned around. "The being known as Jeri has shown the collective your weaknesses, subject Takato," it continued. "What does that mean?" I asked. "I forgot my flute." Huh? Oh that's right. Just before I got Guilmon, Jeri once left her flute in her desk and was looking for it. It was the same day I was supposed to write my apology to Ms. Asaji, my teacher. She found it. "Rah! You'd better hurry up and write that apology," Jeri had teased through her puppet. At first, I thought it was kind of cute. But now...

"You'd better, hurry, UP!" A big blue hand burst from the puppet, ripping it to shreds and catching my attention. "Uh!" "Your thoughts betray you, your fears will be your downfall. Hm, hm." Guilmon reached for me. "Takato, don't listen, that's not Jeri," he said. I couldn't believe this was happening. I closed my eyes and shook my head frantically. "Any second I'm gonna wake up from this dream!" I shouted. "A dream? Like the one that became Guilmon? It's always Digimon, Digimon with you," the Jeri clone taunted. I had another flashback, and then something happened. "It's hot, my head feels all fuzzy for some reason," I said faintly. Guilmon tried shaking me awake, but I went black. "Takato, snap out of it. Takato. **Takato**!"

* * *

Impmon

Calumon decided to follow me as we searched for the D-Reaper in my never-ending quest for redemption. We were running on an empty, broken street. "How can you run so fast with those little legs, huh?" I panted. "I have bouncy feet." "Maybe we can hurry a little bit slower, what do ya say?" I begged. "No, Jeri's in there." I stopped and caught my breath. "Hey wait a minute! Are you telling me you know where Jeri is?" Calumon stopped and turned. "Well not exactly but I'm positive that she's around here somewhere," he said. I clenched my tiny fists and grimaced. "I've gotta help her, she wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for me." My mind went back to when I killed her partner, Leomon. How could I be so blind? I got consumed by power and I just wanted to show it off so bad. "Will you snap out of it? Come on, let's go," Calumon suggested. I snapped out of it. "All right, all right already. Lead on, creampuff!" We started running again. Calumon tried to stop then turned around and bumped into me. We saw one of those bubble-blowing creatures flying to us. Calumon hid behind me and ol' Bubbles stopped. "Maybe it's friendly. Heh heh, uh..." "Don't you have enough friends?!" Bubbles held out one arm and prepared to fire. We ran like crazy, but then I tripped. "Aw man I got dirt up my nose!" I griped. I turned around, and there he was. I started digging deep again. "We don't have time for this! IMPMON WARP DIGIVOLVE!" I shouted.

**WARP DIGIVOLUTION_**

* * *

Greg

It's amazing the number of calories you burn and the energy you use while you're part of a Mega-level Digimon. Luckily, Veemon and I had had that big lunch. At least I was OK, but I think Veemon was running low. "Hey Greg, why don't we take a break, huh? I think I'm losing energy," he said. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea. Ryo, do you know any places nearby where we can get a quick recharge?" I asked. "Dude, you're Imperialdramon. You can fly anywhere in a matter of seconds. Why don't you try Odiaba?" "Yeah, that might work. I've got one problem though. No cash." We had to think about it while blasting a few more monsters away. "I've got an idea. We'll go back to Rika's house and raid the leftovers," Veemon suggested. "Great idea. We'll come back later." I contacted Rika. "Rika, Veemon and I are headed back to your house. We need to recharge. Do you have a refrigerator?" "A refrigerator? I'm pretty sure we do, but why do you ask?" "We're going to empty it." "Now wait just a second, I'm not letting you raid my fridge just because you don't have any endurance," Rika protested. "You're thinking about food **now?!**" Henry asked incredulously. "It's not me, it's Veemon. I'm fine. We'll be back." I closed the connection as we flew to Rika's estate. We landed in her backyard and powered down.

"Whew... what a rush," I said. I turned to Veemon. "We'll have to eat fast, buddy. The others are counting on us." "Right!" he answered. We would've run in but Veemon was lagging. Inside, Rika's mom and grandma were watching the news. "Hi, Ms. Nonaka." She turned around. "Greg? What are you doing here? How are the others? How's Rika?" "Raiding your fridge, struggling, and fine as far as we know," Veemon answered in that order. There were still leftovers from lunch, so we quickly heated those up. Would you believe that tempura tastes even better when it's cooked in the microwave? We didn't heat up the sushi though. After we had each given ourselves generous portions, we went over to the table. Luckily, the Nonakas have a supply of silverware. We didn't have time for the chopsticks.

I quickly said grace and we dug in. "So what happened? Why are you so hungry all of a sudden?" Ms. Nonaka asked. "It's not me, it's Veemon. I'm just providing moral support," I said with my mouth full. "You still haven't answered my question." I swallowed. "OK, here's what happened. After we rode off, we saved this girl named Alice. She was being attacked, ya see. She said that her partner Dobermon had a gift for us. Turns out that he was sent by the Digimon Sovereign to give us the power to Biomerge in the real world. That's where you merge with your Digimon to go to the Mega level. Henry says that's called Ultimate here. So I raised my D-Arc just like everybody else, when I was stripped of my clothes and taken into the Digital Grid. I had a conversation with this guy named Doug Erholtz. He gave me a pep talk and explained what was going on. I gave myself a minute-long dramatic monologue about not giving up hope and not leaving my friends behind. Would you like to hear it?" "No." "OK. Just then, the power of hope entered my heart and _flowed_ through my soul." "The power of... hope?" Ms. Nonaka's mother asked. "Yeah. It feels really warm. Well that combined with loyalty to become courage, and that led to some _pretty sweet_ moves. I'll let you see them when we're done. Soon after that, Veemon and I Biomerged to Imperialdramon, an ancient dragon. We used some powerful attacks, took out a whole lot of D-Reaper agents, completely decimated the forest and a few blocks, and then Veemon decided he's run out of energy. Only problem is, I didn't and don't have any cash. So, that's why we're here raiding your fridge," I concluded, smiling. "Thank you so much," Veemon added in appreciation. We quickly finished eating and did the dishes as rapidly as we could.

Then, we led the two women outside. I had to count the steps to make sure there was enough room. "Um, Ms. Nonaka, thanks for letting us into your home and your fridge," I said. Ms. Nonaka and her mother stood there, dumbfounded. I closed my eyes and clenched my fist, focusing on that feeling I had the first time we Biomerged. I opened my eyes. "You ready to rock, Veemon?" "Ready!" Veemon got in position as I unclipped my D-Arc and thrust it to the sky. "Then let's do this! BIOMERGE ACTIVATE!" I did the same moves I did before* in one swift motion. And then it happened.

**BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Veemon Biomerge to... Imperialdramon!"

We lifted off and flew toward the others.

* * *

* For Greg's pretty sweet moves, please consult Chapter 26 (Chapter 34 on FanFiction).


	37. Chapter 29: The Little Kahuna

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2012 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 29: The Little Kahuna

Greg

Veemon and I, as Imperialdramon, lifted off and flew towards the others. I signed on and contacted the others. "Hey, guys. Did I miss anything?" Anya was the first to speak. "No, Comrade Greg. We've been attempting to penetrate the D-Reaper but have had no success." "Oh. Sorry to hear that. By the way, Rika, your mom's shrimp tempura tastes even better when it's reheated in the microwave." Rika looked miffed. "Now how would you know that? Did you **eat it all?" **"Whoa whoa, easy there. I saved you guys some. I don't know about Veemon though." "Hey!" "Oh, and I told your mom and your grandma about what happened." "_Great._" "They were bound to find out anyway. It's all over the news." Henry's data-sphere popped up. "Guys, we don't have time for infighting. Greg, we're sending you the coordinates." Just then, the location appeared on my interface. It's a good thing Veemon knew how to read coordinates. So we went off.

* * *

Beelzemon

I sent Calumon off, but one of those bubble-blowing things aimed at him. I gave him a rude awakening by pulling his cord. Then I flew up and faced a whole herd of them. Heh heh, this was gonna be fun. "Okay buds, let' s have some fun!" I held out my arm, transforming it into my gun. "Corona Blaster!" They fired at me, but my attack was stronger. I destroyed all of them, no sweat! "Beelzemon hurry! I think I found Jeri!" Calumon called. He started to fly in, but got stopped right in the middle of the air. "Hey come on, let me in, let me in!" He kept hitting what seemed to be an invisible barrier. "Calumon, wha are you waiting for?" It just seemed so stupid to me. I tried walking through, but I got stopped by the same barrier. "I got it." "I can't see anything, but I can sure feel it," Calumon said as he tried kicking it. "Come on, open! Can you hear me!" "I don't think it's listening," I said. So, I flew back and drew out my gun. "So let's knock a little louder. Double Impact!" I started shooting at it. It's a good thing I don't have a limit on ammo. Calumon flew back and started punching the air, cheering me on. That little pipsqueak sure has spirit. "Oh. Hit him again! Hit him again! _Harder! Harder!_" I would've shot through, but I got stopped.

"BEELZEMON!" "Huh?" I turned around, and there was this giant dragon flying in the air. That voice sounded so familiar. "Oh, it's you." "Yeah it is. Beelzemon. I am not afraid of you. You can no longer intimidate me. If you even try anything with me or my friends, I will not hesitate to finish what Gallantmon started. My Laser will make sure of that." "What have I told ya, kid? I'm on your side." I turned around and continued firing. Finally, I made a crack in the barrier, revealing it to be D-Reaper. I put my gun away and fired a punch at it, creating a hole. Then I tried opening it even more. "Open wide! This sucker's tough!" "Yay!" Calumon cheered. "As soon as...it's open...you go in and get her!" I managed to crack it open wider and Calumon tried wiggling through. He couldn't make it. "Ah, you and your cream puffs. Get going, chubby!" I gave him a headbutt and he popped through. As soon as he went through, I got grabbed. "Ah great, outta the frying pan..." The cables set me against the wall and held me there.

* * *

Kenta

I had to make my escape. Where are they? They could've at least left us a trail of bread crumbs or something. "I'm a Tamer, not a psychic. Give me a break." I opened up my shirt and let MarineAngemon out. Just then, I saw MegaGargomon fly overhead. I started chasing him. "MegaGargomon, wait for us! Hey come on you guys, hold on a second!" Oh man, I knew I should've run harder in gym. "Sure... they get to fly... but I have to run. MarineAngemon, can you carry me for a while?"

* * *

Greg

We saw MegaGargomon and followed him and Sakuyamon. Rosemon wasn't far behind. "I hope Justimon can hold on till we get back. This is where we last saw Gallantmon," Henry reported. We stopped, as Sakuyamon landed on a nearby rooftop. "Before the D-Reaper took him," Renamon added. "Can we get in?" Terriermon asked. "Leave it to us," Sakuyamon answered. She tapped her scepter then jumped up and started chanting a spell. Inside her data-sphere, Rika knelt to the bottom and prayed. "White hot burns the fire, as true friendship's strongest bond, no wrong can obstruct." "Amen," Anya and I added. She takes her scepter and slices the sky again creating petals that formed a barrier for us. "So this is gonna protect us right?" MegaGargomon asked. "That's the plan." So, we started going through.

At that point, it wouldn't have hurt if I had had a Crest with me, just for a little insurance. I saw the episode where T.K. and Kari used their Crests to shoot arrows of hope and light at Matt and Tai. Of course, all that did was Warp Digivolve Gabumon and Agumon to their Mega forms. The more I thought about it, the more I felt sorry for those two. They were fictional, so they'd never have the chance to experience what we were doing. Of course, if they were real, I don't know if they'd be able to handle it.

We made it through the barrier and saw all the destruction the D-Reaper had caused. "Azulongmon was right. Wherever the D-Reaper appears, it leaves nothing but a wake of devastation and chaos." "Come on guys, let's make a little chaos of our own," Rika said, emboldened. "But what about Ed and Takato?" Anya asked. "I'm on it," I volunteered.

* * *

Takato

Guilmon managed to wake me up, but I couldn't help but see Jeri in that clone. All of a sudden, the clone started quoting Jeri. "You're wrong I'm not nice at all. When my real mother died I swore I wouldn't let anyone take her place, when my new stepmother came..." I looked away, closed my eyes, and tried to fight the tears. I lost. "No. Uh, uh, Jeri, make it stop! Please!" "She wanted to be my friend, but I never gave her a chance. You see I'm not nice, I'm awful," she continued. She turned away. Guilmon had to hold me back. I got loose and ran to her. She turned back to me. "Leomon said everyone has their own destiny." Her face and clothes split to reveal she was blue skinned with a red dress. "Ah!" She flew up. "You're not her, you're no Jeri!" I shouted. "Sadness isn't necessary you know, it can just be deleted," the Jeri clone responded. "Where is she?! Tell me what you've done with her!"

She didn't answer, but she started chasing us. "Run faster Guilmon! If she catches us we're done for!" I urged.

* * *

Greg

"Takato! Guilmon! Ed! Coronamon! Geez, where are you?" I asked in Imperialdramon's voice. Just then, I was surrounded by those bird-type monsters and their wires. I felt this wave of evil come over me, like someone was running electrical static. "Ugh!" Well, there was one way to get rid of them. "Time to charge up the laser!" "Wait!" Veemon stopped me. "What, Veemon?" "Ya know, you need to think about what you're going to do. If you use that Positron Laser, you might hurt the others." "Hmm. You're right. Better slash at them instead." So I formed my hands into claws and started slashing in the air. "Splendor Blade!" We slashed away at them, but it still hurt. Sakuyamon felt the same way. "Are you okay, Sakuyamon?" MegaGargomon asked.

After I broke free from the birds, I searched for Ed and Coronamon. I found them lying on the floor, probably unconscious. I remembered the whole "Digimon World Tour" arc and how Imperialdramon transported them around the world. "Beam them up, Scotty!" I directed. "Who's Scotty?" Veemon asked. "It's complicated," I explained. We turned around and beamed them up into a glowing pouch that appeared on our back.

"All right! We got them!" I cheered. I looked on my interface and saw something I never thought I would see in here. "What the- Kenta!? MarineAngemon!? Awww nuts..."

* * *

Takato

Guilmon and I were still running, but we tripped and somersaulted onto the ground. The clone was just about to catch up when MarineAngemon came in. "Hm, hm, hm. Poo!" The little Digimon fired a blue heart from his mouth, and the Jeri clone freaked out. "Kahuna Waves! Hm, poo! Kahuna Waves! Poo!" The hearts started breaking and that really scared her. "Poo! Poo! Poo! Poo! Kahuna Waves!" It got so bad that the Jeri clone flew away. "Huh?" "MarineAngemon got rid of scary Jeri," Guilmon noted. Just then, Kenta showed up. "Takato. Now do you see what happens when you guys head out without me? Gee whiz," he griped. We both got up. "The two of us would've been here faster but I weren't sure exactly where here was," he continued. MarineAngemon flew to him. "He's here." "Oh not again," Kenta groaned. A Chaos bubble rose. "MarineAngemon, time to go poo, buddy." "Poo!" MarineAngemon shot the heart at the bubble and it disappeared. "Wow Kenta, you saved us," I said.

Sakuyamon landed, seemingly dead on her feet. MarineAngemon fired more Waves at her. He even shot another one right at her cheek. She turned to us. "I'm glad everyone is alright," she said in Renamon's voice. Then she noticed Kenta. "Kenta, what are you doing here?" Rika asked. "I'm a tamer too, remember?" Kenta shot back. Then, Imperialdramon and Rosemon flew in. "Well well well, if it isn't Kenta," Greg said. That got Kenta excited. "I knew it! So you're Imperialdramon! Dude, how did you do it?" "Just got lucky, I guess." MegaGargomon landed. "Finally we're all together again, now let's get outta here," Terriermon suggested. "OK. Who wants a free ride?" Greg asked. However, it seems we weren't given any choice because we got sucked in. There really wasn't that much to Imperialdramon's cabin. It was just like the TV series, which in a way, made it that much awesome. MegaGargomon aimed. "Well first we're gonna need a door!" Henry said. "Gargo Missiles!" "Positron Laser!" The two attacks combined to break open the barrier, and we flew out.

* * *

Kazu

Yeah, so we decided to help Ryo out. It really didn't help when yet another green beetle punched Justimon into Guardromon and me. It felt like a ton of bricks just fell on me. It was awful, man. "Justice Kick!" Justimon landed a kick on the bug and Guardromon got up. "Try that again Captain Monkey Butt!" I taunted. "Monkey butt!" Guardromon echoed. The giant beetle lifted up a huge chunk of the ground. We panicked. "Oh man, didn't you know I was kidding?" I pleaded. "Well I wasn't," my Digimon answered. He got his attack ready just as the bug threw the ground at Justimon. "Guardian Barrage!" The missiles destroyed the chunk right before it hit Justimon. I pumped my fist in the air. "Yeah! Dude, we did it!" I cheered. Justimon gave us a thumbs up. "Nice work guys, thanks!" "Guardromon, d'you hear that? He said thank you to us." I slammed him in the door on his chest affectionately. "Do we rock or what?" I asked him. "We certainly do," he answered. "And who on this whole planet is cooler than us?" "Nobody!" This was a great time for a hug, so we did it.

But that didn't stop the bug from running toward Justimon. Luckily, our buddy was so ready for him. "Try this on for size. Thunder Clap!" He slammed his hand on the ground and electricity ran to the bug. The blast hit him and sent him into a building. Justimon walked to us and from the dust cloud the bug emerged again. "Uh!" Justimon turned around and saw, but the bug grabbed him by the neck, threw him to the ground and stomped on the land. He took his foot away, but there was no one there. "All right! He missed him!" "Nice try, bigfoot," Justimon taunted. The bug reached for Justimon and he punched the building. When he pulled his hand out laughing and opened his fist, he came up empty again! Our buddy was about to go for another Justice Kick, but then someone else showed up. "That's enough! Spirit Strike!" "Sakuyamon!" "And MegaGargomon!" "I brought you something," Terriermon said. "Mega Barrage!" The missiles all hit Horn Striker but they didn't do anything. After that, Imperialdramon and Rosemon flew in. "Hey Kazu, what's a big hit at any party?" the dragon asked in Greg's voice. "I dunno," I answered. "POSITRON LASER!" He fired his laser at the bug, but it didn't do anything. "Huh? But I obliterated it last time!" Justimon made a big, red sword from his hand. The bug struck and missed. Justimon jumped on his back and tried to cut the cable but the bug jumps back up knocking Justimon back. "Well that could've gone better," he grumbled. The bug was just about to bite his sword, when I saw Antylamon hanging onto the cord. "I beg your pardon," she remarked. Justimon slashed at his cord and the bug dissolved. "Uh, huh. Teamwork triumphs again. I'm glad I could help, I was almost too late," Antylamon said. Justimon jumped down. "You arrived just in time. Thanks Antylamon." "So is the coast clear?" Imperialdramon asked. We looked around. "As far as I know, yeah. But aren't you guys just gonna fly back to Rika's?" I asked. "Eh, good point. Um, by the way, Kazu... you want a ride?" I grinned from ear to ear. "A ride on Imperialdramon? That would be AWESOME!" So Guardromon and I got beamed up and we flew back to Rika's. It was just like the TV show, bare bones and everything.

* * *

Greg

After dinner that night (which was delicious, by the way), there was nothing on TV that night so we all stood around in Rika's backyard garden staring out at whatever we could stare at. Kazu was telling Kenta, Guardromon, Ed, Anya, Coronamon, and Lalamon all about what happened. "So I was like 'Oh no!' and Guardromon fires his missiles and they go 'boom!' and knocked the rock away from Justimon, and then Ryo said thanks. If it wasn't for us we'd all be D-Reaper dinner right now." I stood back with Ryo, Henry, and Terriermon. "Kind of an overstatement, huh?" Ryo asked. "Well, yeah. But, you gotta admit you and Kazu truly are the big heroes of the day," Henry said. "I don't know about that, Henry. I'd say Kenta was one too. After all, if it wasn't for MarineAngemon, that Jeri clone would've eaten Takato alive," I argued. "Yeah, I guess you have a point," Ryo admitted.

Just then, Suzie came running in. "Henwy! Henwy! Come quick! You have to help!" Henry got down to her level. "What's wrong?" "Calumon and Beelzemon have disappeared, they're gone!" "Wait, what do you mean they disappeared? Where?" "Into the big, wed ball." "We rescue four, we lose two more, figures," Terriermon quipped. "Oh yeah..." I remembered. Henry and Suzie's eyes were on me. "I saw those two today. I overheard them talking about looking for Jeri. I finally told Beelzemon I wasn't afraid of him anymore, and if he tried anything funny, I wouldn't hesitate to finish what Takato started." "Look, that's very nice. I'm proud of you and all that, but this is serious."

Lopmon came in. "It's all my fault," she said. "Lopmon!" Suzie picked up her Digimon and squeezed her tight, like a teddy bear. "They vanished before I could stop them, so I came to help you guys." Henry stood up. He looked worried. Thankfully, Ryo caught her attention. "Hey, Suzie. You're a Tamer, aren't you?" "Course I am," she replied. Ryo took a card out of his pocket, walked over to Suzie, and gave the card to her. "Then you'll need this. It's a Digi-Modify card, I think it's time you had one." Not to be outdone, I checked my pants pocket. "Oh that reminds me, Suzie. I've been meaning to give this card to you." I pulled out and gave her the Digi-Egg of Love card. "It's the Digi-Egg of Love," I said. "Wee! My first Modify card! Oh this is so gweat, now I can Digi-modify just like Hewry! Ha ha ha ha!" She squeezed Lopmon tighter. "Oh boy, I can't wait," the brown Digimon quipped. She skipped away, happy as a fish that had just been let loose in a fishbowl.

* * *

Rika

I stared out into the distance. We never really got a chance to thank Alice for the gift her Digimon gave us.


	38. Opening Sequence: One Vision

Digimon Tamers International

_Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02_, etc. ©1999-2013 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

[Note: This originally was for a "video album" entitled _Analog Avenue _(a take off of The Alan Parsons Project's 1984 album _Ammonia Avenue). _That project has since been aborted. However, some of the MusicBreaks in that aborted album will be included here at various points of the story. I'm saving some APP music for the sequel, which will begin production soon after this is finished. Anyway, here's the opening sequence. It's meant to first be used around episode 42 of the series or chapter 19 of this fanfic.]

**Opening Sequence Music: "One Vision"**

**Performed by ****Takayoshi Tanimoto**

[Credits will go here so you can put them in where you feel they are most appropriate:]

Producer :

Hiromi Seki

Story Editor/ Writer in Chief :

Chiaki J. Konaka

Music:

Takanori Arisawa

Music Supervisors:

Chris Horvath

Alan Parsons

Opening Theme:

"One Vision"

Lyrics: Yamada Hiroshi

Music: Oota Michihiko

Arranger: Oota Michihiko

Performed by: Takayoshi Tanimoto

Closing Theme:

"Days Are Numbers (The Traveller)"

Written by: Eric Woolfson & Alan Parsons

Japanese Lyrics by: Yamada Hiroshi

Arranger: Oota Michihiko

Japanese Version Performed by: AiM (Maeda Ai)

English Version Performed by: Vic Mignogna

Assistant Chief Director:

Tetsuharu Nakamura

Art Directors:  
Tetsuhiro Shimizu

Yukiko Iijima

Character Design:  
Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru

Production Design:

Yoshito Watanabe

CG Design:

Shinji Aramaki

Color Supervisor:

Yasue Itasaka

Chief Director:

Yukio Kaizawa

A Production of:

Toei Animation, Inc.

Buena Vista Studios

Yomiko Advertising

* * *

_The animation begins with a close-up of Jeri, who reveals her true form as __the D-Reaper ADR-01 Jeri Type. The camera__ pans out to reveal Takato and Guilmon__chasing after it.__ The other Biomerge-able Tamers and their Digimon (Henry and Terriermon, Rika and Renamon, Greg and Veemon, Anya and Lalamon, and Ed and Coronamon) are chasing after them._

_**Hikari wo hanatsu karada ga**__**  
**__**Toke au matrix evolution**__**  
**__**Sono toki subete wakaru sa**__**  
**__**Futari deaeta imi**_

_As the camera zooms up to the sky, the logo appears. However, the logo is touched by bubbles of Chaos and quickly evaporates. The camera zooms back down to the chase, which is looking better for our heroes._

_We get quick four-second shots of each of our main six Tamers: Takato sharpening a colored pencil and working on a sketch (of Gallantmon) with Guilmon looking on and chewing up a loaf of Guilmon bread; Henry practicing his Tai Chi while Terriermon attempts to imitate him; Rika teaching Renamon how to play the Digimon card game; Greg and Veemon enjoying __Ms. Nonaka's world famous shrimp tempura__; Anya relaxing in a traditional Japanese hot spring while Lalamon absorbs the steam (apparently enjoying it); and Ed writing a new song with Coronamon looking on._

_**Kokoro no katachi kimi wa kami ni kakeru kai?  
Ichibyou goto ni iro mo kaeru mono da yo**_

_**Shinjiru koto ga donna koto ka wakaru kai?**_  
_**Kimi no subete ga tamesarete irun da yo**_

_For a moment, we find the Tamers back in the Digital Grid, but those six grids converge into one grid as we enter a montage of the Tamers at the pivotal and coolest parts of their Biomerge initiation sequences. Fractal code covers the screen..._

_**Yuuki dake ja (Yuuki dake ja)**_

_**todokanain da ( todokanain da)**__**  
**__**Osore made hitotsu ni natta sono toki**_

_...then disappears to reveal Gallantmon, MegaGargomon, Sakuyamon, Imperialdramon, Rosemon, and Apollomon proceed to beat up copies of __the other D-Reaper agents. Impmon closes his eyes and clenches his fist, then glows yellow and Warp Digivolves to Beelzemon Blast Mode in a split second. Then he uses his Corona Blaster attack to take out a copy of ADR-04._

_**Hikari wo hanatsu karada ga  
Toke au matrix evolution  
Subete ga michita shunkan  
Ima sore ga ima!**_

_(At this point, the track is edited to 3:45 in the single version of the song.) Inside the D-Reaper, Jeri is sadly grasping her nonfunctional D-Arc, struggling to hold onto hope. Calumon looks on. Outside, MarineAngemon fires his Kahuna Waves attack as Kenta cheers him on. Kazu and Guardromon give the audience a thumbs-up while Suzie forces Lopmon into a little dance. Justimon runs up and does a jump kick on a copy of ADR-06. _

_**Zero e to kawaru kokoro ga  
Toke au matrix evolution  
Sono toki subete wakaru sa  
Futari deaeta imi **_

_We then go to a group shot of the Tamers with their Rookie Digimon standing together just as the sun is rising. Then, the team of humans and Digimon start running into battle and the screen freezes._


	39. MusicBreak 9: Prime Time

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2013 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Music Break #9

"Prime Time"

Written by Eric Woolfson & Alan Parsons

Performed by The Miyako Inoue Project

Lead Singer: Greg Logan [Doug Erholtz]

Backing Vocals by Veemon [Derek Stephen Prince]

* * *

_The scene and music begins where a lot of successful 80s action dramas begin... in the war-torn streets of Shinjuku. A __black 1965 __Corvette Sting Ray__ pulls up and stops. As the front passenger door opens, Greg steps out. "Thanks for the ride," Greg says. "Any time," a mysterious male voice* answers. Veemon comes out as well. Greg shuts the door as the Sting Ray drives off. As soon as it's far enough, the two walk down the now vacant highway nonchalantly, but cautiously. They're met by a series of __Searchers who stare them down. Greg gets in a battle stance, unclips his D-Arc, and pulls out a card from his pocket. It's the Digi-Egg of Friendship. He swipes it, and Veemon Armor Digivolves to Raidramon. Greg reclips his D-Arc to his belt, puts his card away and mounts his Digimon. They start fighting in a high-speed chase. Raidramon fires a few blasts from his Lightning Blade. There's a definite struggle, but it's worth it._

_Greg:_

_**Well even the longest night won't last forever  
But too many hopes and dreams won't see the light  
And all of the plans I make won't come together**_

_**But something in the air**_

_Veemon: (VO, backup)_

_**Something in the air**_

_Greg:__**  
Maybe for the only time in my life  
Something in the air**_

_Veemon: (VO, backup)_

_**Something in the air**_

_Greg:__**  
Turning me around and guiding me right**_

_The scene shifts to a stage where Greg is on stage, being accompanied by the usual backup band of Matt and the Teenage Wolves._

_Greg:_

_**And it's a prime time, maybe the stars were right  
I had a premonition, it's gonna be my turn tonight  
Gonna be my turn tonight**_

_Back to the fight. A swarm of Pendulum Feet and Bubbles surround the two. Greg jumps off Raidramon as the Armor Digimon powers back down to Veemon. Greg unclips his D-Arc, closes his eyes and pulls out another card from his pocket. This card becomes blue as he poses with his D-Arc, scanning the card. Veemon Matrix Digivolves to Magnamon as Greg reclips the D-Arc and starts breaking into a dance surprisingly similar to the Electric Slide, but just a bit more energized._

_Greg:_

_**Well even the brightest star won't shine forever  
But all of the hands I've played are working out right  
And every move I make feels like a winner**_

_**And something in the air**_

_Veemon: (VO, backup)_

_**Something in the air**_

_Greg:__**  
Maybe for the only time in my life  
Something in the air**_

_Veemon: (VO, backup)_

_**Something in the air**_

_Greg:__**  
Turning me around and guiding me right**_

_**And it's a prime time, maybe the stars were right  
I had a premonition, it's gonna be my turn tonight  
Gonna be my turn tonight  
Gonna be my turn tonight**_

_**Gonna be my turn tonight**_

_The band continues to play as we see the fight on a giant screen. The fight goes well for Magnamon as he uses his Magna Blast to shoot away at the Pendulum Feet. Greg goes somewhere close by to watch the fight. Magnamon also uses a combination of Magna Kicks and Magna Punches. However, this soon proves to be too much, especially as Grapple Hands shows up and knocks Magnamon around. Greg looks at this in shock as his Digimon powers down to Veemon. He unclips his D-Arc, and gets in position for the Biomerge sequence.__Greg__ holds his D-Arc high in the air with his right hand. His left arm is extended to the side. He brings the D-Arc down and in front of him. His left arm is now pulled back to the side, with his left hand in a fist. He quickly reels the D-Arc-equipped right hand in toward his heart while extending his left hand and arm out. As the D-Arc touches him, he is forced into a state of relaxation as his clothes and glasses disappear. Fractal code covers his body as his eyes close. Seconds later, the Biomerge sequence is complete, and Imperialdramon is ready to roll. _

_Veemon: (VO, backup)_

_**Something in the air**_

_**Something in the air**_

_The scene shifts to inside Greg's data-sphere as he breaks into his dance._

_Greg:__**  
And it's a prime time, maybe the stars were right**_

_Back in the studio, Greg leads the Tamers, their Digimon, and various other international DigiDestined and their Digimon from the "Digimon World Tour" arc into a dance similar to the Electric Slide. Some are more successful at it than others. The fight footage continues on the Jumbotron. It's a close struggle as a lot of attacks don't do any good. Greg finally figures it out as Imperialdramon slashes away at the red cords, leaving them vulnerable. Greg charges up a Mega Crusher and fires it, not only destroying the remaining D-Reaper Agents and the highway. _

_Greg:_

_**I had a premonition, it's gonna be my turn tonight  
Gonna be my turn tonight  
Gonna be my turn tonight**_

_**Gonna be my turn tonight**_

_This dance is __a variation of "The Electric" choreographed by Richard Silver (had to throw that in there for copyright purposes). Mostly it's the same dance except it throws in the ____Tecktonik, Greg's basic D-Arc hand thrusts (actually belonging to Taiki Kudo), and other freestyle moves. One Australian Tamer totally breaks pattern and does a version of the "Melbourne Shuffle" dance. The dance continues until the music fades out. _

___The scene shifts back to the fight where Imperialdramon powers down. Greg and Veemon walk away, leaving destruction in their wake. "That was an awesome fight," Veemon cheers. "I know," Greg replies. They walk away as the scene fades to black._

_The man in the '65 Corvette Sting Ray is actually Stingray, the main character from the late 80s action-adventure series ____Stingray._


	40. Chapter 30: The 30th Story

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2013 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 30: The 30th Story

Jeri

Why do they keep coming? Ever since I've come home, I've had all these... reminders of... how alone I am. Everyone I've ever loved keeps disappearing, and I don't know why. First my mother, now Leomon.

"Where are you running?" "Run away, away..." "Away...or to nothing!" "Running away from destiny?" "Destiny, destiny, destiny, destiny... "

* * *

Greg

The next morning, Mr. Matsuki drove us in his van. We couldn't all fit, so Renamon and Guardromon ran and flew beside it. I thought about riding Raidramon behind them, creating some sort of convoy, but Mr. Matsuki insisted that I'd want to hear some of what he was saying. "That thing is absorbing several square miles each day. Nothing can stand against it. Pretty soon the entire city will be absorbed," he said. It was stuff I already knew. We stood there staring at the display. The pink thing was the D-Reaper. "Are we going to my house?" Rika asked. Mr. Matsuki shook his head. "I'm really sorry, Rika, but I'm afraid it's just not safe there anymore. Mr. Wong and Yamaki are setting up temporary headquarters, and we're going to join them. They're moving as much of the Hypnos network as they can salvage. By the way, what happened to your friend Ryo?" "I don't know. When we woke up, he was gone," Takato answered. "Probably going out to save the city by himself," I guessed. "That's so like him," Rika grumbled. "Yeah. I probably should've gone out with him, but then I would've missed breakfast," I added. "Dude, do you think with your stomach?" Kazu asked. I laughed at that. "Kazu, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." "The fighting is not yet over. We'll surely have to become stronger," Anya remarked. Ed just stood there, grimacing. "I know. Hey, if we're going to be seeing Mr. Wong, maybe I can ask him to upgrade Imperialdramon," I suggested.

* * *

Yamaki

10:45 AM. We had set up base in an office building owned by the government. The Monster Makers and I were working on a new project involving the Ark that had previously brought the Tamers homeward. It was Daisy's idea.

10:47 AM. She was in the process of showing it off. "It's just a little something I cooked up while you were sleeping. So, what do you think guys?" she asked. Riley, Babel, and I examined her work. "Hmm...put it through it's paces, woman," Babel grinned. "Get ready to weep - this is so smooth," Daisy bragged as she added the pieces to the Ark. I could not help but detect a smile come to my face. "Aw, you're breakin' my heart!" "And it's not just another pretty face. This beautiful beast is solid Chrome Digizoid, the metal of the Digital World. She's as solid as a tank," I added. "Dolphin's baby is still willing to fly. All it needs is just a little help from it's friends," Daisy said as she added the nose to the Ark. "And my mother always told me, if you're nice to your friends, they'll be nice to you. There." She was a sight to behold. We quickly decided to change its gender to male.

* * *

Greg

When we got there, we had to take two separate elevators up to the 30h floor. When we got up to the right floor, all our parents and other adults were standing around. Mrs. Matsuki brought in a tray with something on it. "Get'm while they're fresh, rice balls for all! Hot soup on the way!" she announced. As we walked inside, I approached the tray and picked two up. "Thank you," I said. I gave one to Veemon. If we were going to be fighting, we'd need all the energy we could get. It seemed a lot of adults were gathered around one computer, including Yamaki and Mr. Mizuno. As we approached them, Mizuno chewed and swallowed his rice ball and walked up to Henry. "May I borrow your Digivice?" he asked. "Huh?" "I know it's a personal thing, but I need it," he explained. Henry handed it over to him. "Hey, you're darn tootin' it's personal, what do you need it for anyway?" Terriermon shot back. Mizuno pressed a button, and a slot opened on the top of Henry's D-Arc. He inserted a cable. "For Grani. Without our help it won't be able to emerge into this world. Put simply, we're making our ideas real. Only this is more teleportation than creation." He went back to the computer and started typing. A series of diagrams appeared as he was speaking and typing. "Grani's original data was damaged, and returned to the Digital World. It could've just dispersed into digital streams, but Grani is self-aware, and wouldn't let that happen. Grani held on to an image of itself that Daisy was able to rebuild. But it still exists as data only, until we give it a form in the real world. That's where the Digivice comes in. It teaches data to behave." "It does?" I asked with my mouth full. I swallowed. "But I thought it was only used to Digivolve and use Digi-Modify cards." "You must open your mouth a little wider when you speak," Mizuno answered. I tried doing what he suggested. "You're gonna make a copy of the Digivice's program, right?" Henry asked. Mizuno closed his eyes and smiled. "You're pretty quick." He went back to his work.

Soon, Mrs. Matsuki brought in chicken noodle soup. Veemon and I discovered that it went well with the rice balls. Mr. Wong and I each grabbed another ball at the same time. I followed the man back to his computer. "Excuse me, Mr. Wong?" I asked. "Yes, Greg?" "I was wondering... I've got Imperialdramon as Veemon's Mega level, but it's on 4 legs, and I've only got 2. Motion is pretty limited." "How so?" "Well, for example, I gotta do this..." I started slashing the air with my hands. "... for our Splendor Blade attack. And do this..." I did the Positron Laser pose. "For Positron Laser. Oh, and this is one Ryo showed me for Mega Crusher." I demonstrated. Mr. Wong seemed impressed. "Do you practice karate?" he asked. "No, but I watch _Power Rangers_ and _Dragon Ball Z_ on occasion," I replied. "Hmm... in that case, you seem to have handled what you have pretty well. Your power output makes up for your lack of mobility." "But everyone else has 2 legs, I have 4. Veemon himself has 2 legs." I pointed out Veemon's pair of legs to Mr. Wong. Veemon even helped out by sticking them out. "Besides, isn't it the dream of every red-blooded Japanese boy to punch out the nearest giant... thing inside his very own giant robot?" I asked. Mr. Wong had to think about that for a moment. "...No, some kids here are into Pokemon," he answered. I took off my glasses and facepalmed. "I get your point though. You just want to fit in with the others. I'll help you on the condition that you don't go power crazy." "I promise, sir. Scout's honor." I gave him the 3-fingered salute. He smiled. "OK, hand me your Digivice, and I'll see what I can do." Veemon and I fistbumped, then I unclipped my D-Arc and gave it to him. "Thank you so much, sir," I said. He took it over to Mizuno who inserted a separate cable.

I looked around the place. There wasn't much to see. I did stumble upon what looked like a primitive version of Pac-Man. Kazu, Kenta, Anya, Lalamon, and MarineAngemon were looking at it as well with Mr. Wong. "So what is this, anyway?" Kenta asked. "Looks like primitive version of Pac-Man," Anya guessed. "Looks pretty boring to me," Kazu added. "Me too," MarineAngemon chimed in from on top of Kenta's head. "Is it a game?" Kenta asked. "Bad game." "It's the D-Reaper's original form," Tally explained. Kenta turned his head toward the pink blob that was taking over the city just outside the window. "You gotta be kidding me. That thing used to be that thing?" "It evolved just like the Digimon. Probably even learned how by assimilating their data." Just then, Suzie ran up to Mr. Wong and tugged at his coat urgently. "Daddy, listen, listen, I saw Calumon and Beelzemon go into the nasty wed stuff, but I never saw them come out! Someone needs to go get them out of there now!" An Indian woman approached her. "You're right, we don't know if it's your friends but somebody is in there. You're a smart girl." Suzie smirked. "She's right, all right. I saw them go in," I said.

* * *

Takato

I couldn't help staring at Jeri's dad and stepmother. I wanted to see what their next move was. Poor Jeri. She was probably still stuck in the D-Reaper somewhere. Just then, I saw Mr. Katou head for the elevator. I rushed after him and made it just as he pressed the down button. I had to stop and catch my breath. "Please don't be mad at her! Please, it's not her fault!" He just stared at me. "I really mean it, it's not her fault! You have to believe me, you just have to!" The elevator door opened and he walked in without saying a word. His eyes were carved out of stone. "Mr. Katou, please, please just don't be mad at her," I pleaded. The door shut. "Oh...Jeri..."

* * *

Rika

I went outside and sat on a stone wall, thinking. Boy, do I have a lot to learn. How could I have been such a dork? Jeri always seemed happy enough. She actually seemed to enjoy things - I mean, she smiled all the time. All I ever though about was me and my stupid problems. I never even thought about what her life was really like. She lost her mom, then her partner. I mean, oh, fine - my parents are divorced, and I don't get to see much of my dad, but I could. At least he's still alive. Poor Jeri... "No more feeling sorry for myself. I got it good..." I decided as I jumped off.

* * *

Ed

I checked all over the 30th floor. Neither Mum nor Dad had shown up. Was that stupid clone of Jeri right? Maybe she was. Maybe I'd never see them again. "Hmm... that's all right by me. Who needs them, anyway?" I quietly asked myself. Just then, all these memories kept flashing back to my mind. How I'd been overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated. It became too much for me...

"Wait..." a voice whispered. "Huh?" The whisper came back again. "What if I offered you a way to get revenge? You've been taken advantage of by a cold, cruel world." The voice was silky, sweet, and seductive, yet male. "You're right," I agreed. "Well, aren't you going to do something about it?"

* * *

Coronamon

I didn't like what was coming. Ed seemed to have fallen under some evil trance. Where it came from, I don't know.

* * *

Greg

For about 15 minutes after I had given Mr. Wong my D-Arc, Veemon, Henry, and I were attempting to figure out _Super Smash Bros. Melee _in Japanese (or as it read on the box, _Dairantō Smash Brothers DX_). Terriermon was just watching. We were having a pretty good time when Mr. Wong knocked on the door. "Greg, your upgrade's ready," he said. I paused the game and went up to him as he gave me back the D-Arc. "Thanks again, Mr. Wong. Now, how do I access the upgrade?" I asked. "Wait, what upgrade?" Henry inquired. I turned around. "To Imperialdramon Fighter Mode. I thought I told everyone in the car," I said. I raised my eyebrow. Henry just shook his head. "If you want to get an upgrade, just ask him. Maybe you'll get some sort of thinner stealth mode that lets you jump really high and kick evildoers across the head." Henry shook his head again and laughed. "I don't know where you come up with this stuff," he said.

The 4 of us were about to look at the D-Reaper again when we overheard a phone conversation. Mr. Matsuki ran inside. "Some ratfink has stolen my van. Aw, darn it, I must've left the keys in it again..." he growled. "Mr. Matsuki is here with me. Thank you for informing us," Yamaki said as he hung up. "Sorry, Yamaki." "Who could've taken it...?" "We could always count the parents and see who isn't here," Terriermon suggested. "Huh?" The two turned around to find us. "Sounds like we've got us a mystery," I said.


	41. MusicBreak 10: Let's Talk About Me

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2013 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Music Break #10

"Let's Talk About Me"

Written by Alan Parsons & Eric Woolfson

Performed by The Miyako Inoue Project

Lead Singer: Ed Jordan-Phillips [Vic Mignogna]

* * *

_At the offices of M-Net in the Naspers building, located at 40 Heerengracht in Cape Town. Ed's father, Mr. Phillips, is negotiating a deal with the executives. In the short time that has passed since his son's departure, he has become an executive himself. We hear indistinguishable conversation as the music gets louder and louder. Just then, there's a buzz at Mr. Phillips' phone. He answers it. "Hello?" "Mr. Phillips, your son is here to see you," the secretary responds over the phone. "Well don't just stand there, let him in," he impatiently demands. Just then, as the song opens, Ed quickly pulls the doors open as he begins his assault. As he begins, a large portion of the wall in front of the executives spins around to reveal the members of the backup band [Coronamon on drums, Yamato "Matt" Ishida on bass, Guilmon on keyboard, __Kenta Kitagawa__ on piano, and Greg Logan on electric guitar]._

_Ed:_

_**Let's talk about me for a minute**_

_**Well how do you think**_

_**I feel about what's been going on?**_

_**Let's talk about me for a minute**_

_**Well how do you think**_

_**I feel about what's gone wrong?**_

_**Let's talk about dreams**_

_**I never learned to read the signs**_

_**Let's think about what it all means**_

_**I never seem to have the time **_

_He climbs up on a large table and starts getting in his father's face. Righteous vengeance is in his eyes._

_Ed:_

_**Let's talk about you and your problems**_

_**All that I seem to do is spend the night**_

_**Just talking 'bout you and your problems**_

_**No matter what I say I can't get it right **_

_**Don't think about dreams**_

_**Is it all a waste of time?**_

_**Don't think about what it all means**_

_**If you are a friend of mine **_

_**Talk about me**_

_Backup Band (joining in):_

_**Me**_

_**Me for a minute**_

_Ed:_

_**I'm the one who's losing**_

_**Talk about me **_

_Backup Band (joining in):_

_**Me**_

_**Me for a minute**_

_Ed:_

_**I'm the one who's always losing out **_

_The backup band harmonizes with something indistinguishable, but genuinely following the lines of "Talk about me..." and so on. Ed continues to pace along the table, looking with spite at each of the executives. _

_Ed:_

_**And how do you think**_

_**I feel about what's been going on?**_

_**Let's talk about me for a minute**_

_**Well how do you think**_

_**I feel about what's gone wrong?**_

_**Let's think about dreams**_

_**We never seem to have the time**_

_**Let's talk about what it all means**_

_**If you are a friend of mine **_

_**Let's talk about me**_

_**I'm the one who's losing out**_

_**I'm the one who's losing out**_

_**I'm the one who's losing out, losing out**_

_**Talk about me**_

_Backup Band (joining in):_

_**Me**_

_**Me for a minute**_

_Ed:_

_**I'm the one who's losing**_

_**Talk about me **_

_Backup Band (joining in):_

_**Me**_

_**Me for a minute**_

_Ed:_

_**I'm the one who's always losing out **_

_In the part of the original song where we hear the two competing radio broadcasts, Ed and his father launch into an argument. Mr. Phillips gives the standard lines about how he's doing what he thinks is right for his son, and Ed argues that he is wrong. In many respects, the argument is indistinguishable, but it doesn't really matter that much. The basic gist is that Mr. Phillips doesn't get it. He strikes one of Ed's nerves and he reacts. As Matt and Greg duet on guitars, Ed willfully causes a havoc. He picks up important papers and throws them all over the floor. He then heads to the bookshelf and starts throwing books. He really starts thrashing up the place because seemingly it's the only way his father will even so much as listen to him. For a basic idea, try watching the "I Want it Now" musical number from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, set that in a boardroom in South Africa, and make Ed the good guy. And the band plays on. As the final chorus plays, Mr. Phillips rings up his security guards. Just then, a large number of muscular, black, South African guards come in and attempt to restrain Ed._

_Ed:_

_**I'm the one who's losing out**_

_**I'm the one who's losing out**_

_**I'm the one who's losing out, losing out**_

_**Talk about me**_

_Backup Band (joining in):_

_**Me**_

_**Me for a minute**_

_Coronamon/Matt:_

_**A minute**_

_**Let's talk, let's talk about me**_

_Ed:_

_**I'm the one who's losing**_

_**Talk about me **_

_Coronamon/Matt:_

_**Talk about me, a minute**_

_**Let's talk, let's talk about me**_

_Backup Band (joining in):_

_**Me**_

_**Me for a minute**_

_Coronamon/Matt:_

_**Talk about me, a minute**_

_**Let's talk, let's talk about me**_

_Ed:_

_**I'm the one who's losing**_

_**Talk about me **_

_Backup Band (joining in):_

_**Me**_

_**Me for a minute**_

_Coronamon/Matt:_

_**Talk about me, a minute**_

_**Let's talk, let's talk about me**_

_Ed:_

_**I'm the one who's losing**_

_**Talk about me **_

_Backup Band (joining in):_

_**Me**_

_**Me for a minute**_

_As Ed delivers his last line, he's being held by these guards and is carried out of the office._

_Ed:_

_**I'm the one who's losing!...**_

_While the music continues, Greg and Guilmon are forced out of the boardroom. Kenta puts his hands up and willingly walks out, as does Matt. Coronamon puts up a struggle, but finally relents. However, this is only after he takes some of those papers on the large table and sets them on fire. The executives look exasperated and all glare at Mr. Phillips, who attempts to come up with an excuse._

_Coronamon/Matt:_

_**Talk about me, a minute**_

_**Let's talk, let's talk about me**_

_**Talk about me, a minute**_

_**Let's talk, let's talk about me**_

…_**.**_

_As the scene fades, an executive grabs a fire extinguisher and puts out the fire. Mr. Phillips facepalms._


	42. Chapter 31: Destiny Repeats Itself

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2013 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 31: Destiny Repeats Itself

Coronamon

Ed had gained a certain swagger as he walked to the elevator. I didn't like it, not at all. "Um, Ed... are you all right?" I asked him. He didn't say anything. The elevator opened and we walked inside. As he pressed the button to go to the ground floor, I just stared at him. He stared straight ahead, not saying a thing. "I know you have issues, Ed. Who doesn't? I just... you know, worry about you. I'm your partner. We should be able to talk about things like this." He didn't say a word. "From what I heard, it sounds like your dad's a complete jerk. I can talk to him. We can settle our differences... I- I'm sure. Oh come on, Ed, why don't you just talk to me?" I got on my knees. "I'm your friend." He finally spoke. "You're going to leave me, eventually. Everyone does." "Ed, that's just not _true." _He looked angry.

We walked outside to the front entrance. He had an evil glint in his eye. "Oh, but it is! I can't have that. You and I are going to merge together as one. That way **you'll never leave me**!" He unclipped his D-Arc and thrust it forward. As he did, his hand gained a dark crimson aura. Soon, it covered his entire body. I just gazed at it in horror. "No Ed! No! Don't give into it! Fight it, Ed! Fight it! PLEASE, ED! FIGHT IT!"

**DARK BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION_**

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

Greg

"Has anyone seen Ed?" Anya asked. "Come to think of it, no. But we have bigger issues right now, like who stole Mr. Matsuki's van. Hmmm... you think Ed might've done it?" I asked. Anya gasped and got irate. "Ed is your age! What makes you think he could have stolen it?" she asked. "I dunno, but anyone could be a suspect," Veemon answered. So, Henry and I set out to investigate with our Digimon. I could see it now. _Logan and Wong: For Hire. _Of course, Terriermon made it much simpler. All we needed to do was see which parents were missing. I wrote down two lists and we each took one and a pen. That's the great thing about being in an office building. There's plenty of stationary. First people I checked off were my parents. "What do you think you're doing, son?" Dad asked. "Just checking to see if you were here. Do you know anyone who might've stolen Mr. Matsuki's van?" "Greg... just stop already," he ordered. "No can do, Dad," Veemon answered. Dad's jaw dropped. Next, I checked Anya's parents. "Vould I know who stole Mr. Matsuki's van? I'm afraid I don't," Anya's dad answered. "I'm sorry, I don't know either," Anya's mom echoed. I already knew that Ed's deadbeat parents were absent, so they were out. I already knew the Wongs were here, same with the Matsukis. Ms. Nonaka and her mom were here too.

Later, Henry met up with me. "I've checked already. Kazu and Kenta's parents are here. I saw Rika's mom talking with Jeri's stepmom," he reported. "Then that leaves... of course! Why didn't I think of it earlier. Jeri's dad must have stolen it." Just then, Takato ran up to us. "Guys, Mr. Katou is gone. He probably went after Jeri," he said. "Hmm... then we'll just have to go after him." I asked Yamaki if we could invoke a citizen's arrest. "A citizen's arrest? But you didn't witness him stealing the van. You can bring him in, but you can't arrest him," he said. "All right. We'll just bring him in. Are you coming, Henry?" "I would, but they still have my Digivice." "OK, have fun. Come on, Veemon. We've got work to do."

When we got to the bottom floor, Rika and Renamon were waiting for us. I unclipped my D-Arc and pulled out the Digi-Egg of Friendship card. "Ready for another high-speed chase?" I asked. "But I always Armor Digivolve into Raidramon. I'd like to be ExVeemon this time." "I'll Digivolve you into ExVeemon next time, I promise. If we don't have to Biomerge first." "OK!" Rika just rolled her eyes and pulled out her Digivolution card and D-Arc. Anya did the same thing, as did Takato. The girls insisted on going first.

"Digi-Modify! Digivolution Activate!"

**DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Renamon Digivolve to... Kyubimon!"

"Lalamon Digivolve to... Sunflowmon!"

"You know something, Takato? I think you must get bored of constantly Digivolving Guilmon into Growlmon. Why don't you try something different?" "Hmm, you're probably right. But what?" He checked his deck, and found a card. "Oh yeah!" He spun the card in his hand. "Digi-Modify! Digi-Egg of Courage Activate!" I spun my card in my hand. "Digi-Modify! Digi-Egg of Friendship Activate!" I shouted.

**ARMOR DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Veemon Armor Digivolve to... Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!"

"Guilmon Armor Digivolve to... Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!"

Flamedramon examined his new body. "This is incredible," he said just before he gasped. "I don't sound like a dinosaur!" "Right!" I said, smiling. But then I realized something. "Oh man... Oh man! I just realized something." "What's that?" Anya asked. "Well, Guilmon Armor Digivolved to Flamedramon, and Veemon Armor Digivolved to Raidramon. That's Veemon's 2 main Armor forms in the second season of _Digimon. _This is so awesome!" A big smile came over Takato's face too. "Yeah! But... who do I ride with now?" Anya climbed into Sunflowmon's arms as Rika mounted Kyubimon. Rika offered her hand. "Come on, I'll give you a ride," she said. Takato accepted and climbed up. I mounted Raidramon and inserted my fingers into the grips. "OK, let's see how many of you get this reference. I feel the need..." Rika grinned. "The need... for speed!" we both shouted as we set off.

[BGM: "Danger Zone" by Derek Stephen Prince]

The feel of the open road is awesome, especially when you're going as fast as we were. We didn't go as fast as we usually did because we didn't want to tire out our Digimon. Besides, we had to get the van back. Eventually, we found the van and Jeri's dad at the same time. The heat always picked up around the D-Reaper, so Jeri's dad had apparently thrown off his jacket. "JERI! JERI! JERI!" he shouted. We got closer and pulled right up to him. "Ah, we found you, Mr. Katou," I said. He motioned for us to get out of the way. We dismounted our Digimon and they powered down. I looked at Mr. Katou, and there were tears in his eyes. We then heard a familiar voice. "Destiny, destiny, destiny, destiny..." "Jeri...peaches..." Mr. Katou moaned. "It's her! It has to be her!" I looked some more and saw Kazu and Kenta show up with their Digimon. Then, something popped out of the blob. It was a giant monster with multiple mouths, looming over the city and all repeating "Destiny" in Jeri's voice. Takato got really upset at this. "Stop it! Stop using her voice!" he shouted as he ran.

"Wait!" Renamon called. A long tentacle extended from the monster, and stopped just short of Mr. Katou. A video camera popped out of its end. "Initiating memory scan. Subject - Jeri Katou." The camera moved back and forth. "Scan completed. Tadashi Katou. Organic lifeform. Species - human. Father of- father...father... father... father..." "What's wrong with it?" Guilmon asked. "It doesn't understand the word 'father'. The D-Reaper and we Digimon don't have parents, it's a new concept for it," Renamon explained. Did the D-Reaper give up though? No. It just started again. "Initiating memory scan. Subject - Tadashi Katou." By now, Mr. Katou was on his knees, pleading and bargaining. "I'll do anything you want. Just give her back to me. Please give me back my little girl! Take me instead, take me! Please!" "Memory scan interrupted. Conflict encountered. Attempt resolution of inconsistencies. Attempt failed...failed... failed... failed..." "Of course you failed, you stupid thing! How could you possibly understand human emotions?" Rika argued. "But Digimon can understand human emotions," I thought out loud. "That's no Digimon," Veemon reminded me. The D-Reaper expanded a little more, and the camera retracted back into the tentacle. Then, Mr. Katou jumped on it. "Gimme back my daughter!" he shouted. Anya, Kazu, Rika, and I all facepalmed in unison. "What are you doing?" Kazu asked in disbelief. Rika just shook her head. "Renamon?" "Let's do it," the fox said. Rika gave one short, confident nod and got in position.

**BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Biomerge Activate!"

"Renamon Biomerge to... Sakuyamon!"

Sakuyamon leaped up and grabbed Mr. Katou just as he was thrown off of the tentacle. Now that didn't stop the D-Reaper from yet another scan. "Latent memory scan activated. Subject - Jeri Katou. Initiating memory scan." That really ticked Takato off as he had both fists clenched. "STOP IT! Get out of Jeri's head and quit messing with her feelings!" He unclipped his D-Arc and raised it up. "Biomerge Activate!" "Guilmon Biomerge to... Gallantmon!"

Gallantmon charged up his Lightning Joust and fired it. "Lightning Joust!" The blue energy vaporized the hand for a few seconds, but then the hand grew back. Anya unclipped her D-Arc. "Lalamon, we must rush into action!" "You got it, Anya!" She got in position. "Biomerge Activate!" "Lalamon Biomerge to... Rosemon!"

"Fascination!" Rosemon tried to get the monster's attention, draining its life force. Of course, this didn't do her any good, so she started shooting thorns. "Need some help there, Anya?" I offered. "Of course," she answered. I unclipped my D-Arc. "Always willing to help." Just then, a flashing hot arrow shot right across my face. "Huh?" I turned, and there was Apollomon... except he was colored blue for some weird reason. "Arrow of Whispered!**"** "Greg! Look out!" Veemon shouted. We ducked as he shot more arrows at us. I reclipped my D-Arc and we crawled up closer to him as Guardromon fired a few Guardian Barrages. "Ed! Is that you in there?" I asked. He started charging up a dark sun. Veemon and I high-tailed it out of range as fast as we could. When he fired it, some of the pavement melted.

"Veemon... are you pondering what I'm pondering?" I asked. "I think so, Greg, but who's going to fix the pavement? It's melted." "We're on the sidewalk. And soon, it won't matter." I unclipped my D-Arc. "I know you're in there, Ed! We'll just have to get you out!" I got in position (left hand thrust out to the side and right hand with D-Arc above my head). "Biomerge Activate!" "Veemon Biomerge to... Imperialdramon!"

"Who are you, and what have you done with Ed?" I interrogated in our fused voice. "They call me Apollomon Whispered. Soon, I will have my revenge on this cold, cruel world!" "Revenge? What are you talking about?" He fired another dark sun at us, and we flew up to avoid it. "Don't you get it? Doesn't anyone understand?!" I looked into Ed's data-sphere, and it looked like he was a boy possessed. Something wasn't right about him. His sphere was dark blue, with more emphasis on dark than blue. "Ed? Ed, what's going on in there?" I asked. "Stay out of this!" he screeched. "But Ed..." "Don't make me have to kill you!" My eyes grew wider. "But what did I do?" "What did you do? You always think about yourself, don't you? DON'T YOU!? Well why don't you start thinking about ME for a change? Let's talk about ME! I'm the one who's losing out!" And with that, he continued to violently attack. "Ed, I'm warning you... don't make me have to do this..." I brought my hands back, readying the Positron Laser attack. "Greg! What are ya thinking?" Veemon asked in shock. "Just trust me on this one." I waited for him to make the first move, but I didn't have much time. He readied another dark sun and fired it, so I released my attack. "Positron Laser!" The laser hit right through the sun, deleting it.

"Veemon, we've got to upgrade to Fighter Mode! Now!" "Yeah, but how do we do that?" "Hmm... how about this? Fighter Mode Activate!" I did the same moves I did to activate the Biomerge. Nothing happened. "Mode Change Now!" Still nothing. "Mode Change... please?" Nothing, nada, bupkiss.

* * *

Henry

"Why would the D-Reaper care about the relationship between kids and their parents? Why not just delete it along with everything else?" Curly asked. "It's scared out of its digital mind," Mizuno answered. "It's scared?" "In that one way, it's just like us. It too has a fear of the unknown," he explained. "The unknown - of course," Dad realized. He continued working on a program. Of course, there was something on my mind I just had to ask him. "Hey Dad... what exactly did you do with Greg's Digivice?" I asked. "Oh... I found the Imperialdramon program and unlocked Fighter Mode. I'm just going to slow him down a bit." "What do you mean?" "Well, it seems to me that he's been using moves from _Dragon Ball Z _inside his thing..." "It's a data-sphere." "Right. Kamehameha for Positron Cannon and the Masenko for Mega Crusher. And you know how much I like watching that with you, right?" "Exactly. So are you saying that Fighter Mode is like going Super Saiyan?" He smiled. "It will be for him. Besides, he hasn't had enough experience. He started becoming a Tamer when you first reached the Digital World, correct?" "Yeah. He progressed pretty quickly, too, along with Anya and Ed. All 3 of their Digimon got their Ultimate forms when we were Biomerging for the first time." "Don't you think there was something wrong with that picture?" Yamaki asked. "No. Now if they had gone from Champion all the way to Mega, then something would be wrong." Dad continued. "My point is that Greg didn't have to work that hard to Biomerge with Veemon. I've set Fighter Mode so that it comes in response to an absolute need, not a desire. If you're wondering how I did it... I have my ways." "So you're gonna make him work for it, huh?" Terriermon asked. "Exactly." My dog-like buddy grinned from ear to ear. "And that's why you're one of my favorite humans." He turned his attention to Mr. Mizuno. "Mr. Mizuno, not trying to be rude, or anything, but aren't you done with that yet?" The input box read that the transfer process from the Digital World to the Real World was only 70% complete. "Ha ha, moumentai," Mizuno answered. "That's a really irritating thing to say," Terriermon griped. "Then why don't you stop saying it?" I asked.

* * *

Takato

I got caught by the D-Reaper. Thank goodness Justimon came in. "Justice Kick!" He kicked away the hand and set us loose. "You OK?" he asked. "Yeah." "Enough chit-chat!" Sakuyamon insisted. "Right!" All 4 of us sprang into action, but we got caught by the D-Reaper's mouths. They grabbed onto both my arms and my left leg. Then, all those extra mouths repeated "Destiny" over and over. I looked inside Rika's data-sphere. "No! We can choose our own destiny!" she called.

* * *

Anya

Mr. Katou, bless him, crashed Mr. Matsuki's van into one of the bases of the D-Reaper, thinking it would do us good. Of course, it didn't. The monster threw us away, and one mouth-tentacle descended on Jeri's father. Gallantmon leaped in front of him, plunging his lance through the tentacle, but got caught and bashed by multiple mouths. Guardromon and Justimon headed behind the D-Reaper. Guardromon's missiles freed Gallantmon, and Justimon severed the giant agent's life cord with his blade. It disintegrated. "That was fun. Now what?" Gallantmon asked.

I checked Greg's data-sphere. He was violently slashing away. "Excuse me, but may I ask what you're doing?" I asked. "Oh hey, Anya. I'm just trying to Mode Change to Fighter Mode. I'm in a fight with Ed right now. I think he's under some evil spell." I checked Ed's sphere. He looked very irate and melancholy, perhaps at the same time. I checked in with the others. "I'm going to help Greg placate Ed," I announced. "Wait, placate?" Takato asked. "Calm," I responded. "Oh. Well, good luck with that." And so I went off to help.

I checked the battle screen. Something bigger was behind that one monster we faced. It was purple and yellow, was rather large, and had a spiral as part of its body. It opened up and revealed several bubble-blowing monsters housed inside it that began shooting Chaos bubbles. Inside my heart, I wished Takato and the others all the luck in the world.

Ed, in the meantime, looked like he was fighting his demons, not to mention Greg. I jumped in between the two. "**Stop this fighting this instant! **You two are both Tamers. You are also both brothers-in-arms and good friends. Ed, please listen to me. I know you have issues, yet I'm willing to look beyond them and see you as a friend. From what you have told me... you never wanted to enter the field of show business at all. You were coerced by the expectations of your father and mother. I can see you now, facing thousands of fans, and yet... and yet being so alone. I would not wish that on anyone." Inside my sphere, I started to cry. Lalamon took over. "I think I know what Anya's trying to say. Ed, you're not allowing your dreams to come true. What are your dreams?" "I... I don't know any more. I gave up on my own dreams years ago," Ed answered sadly. Lalamon continued. "Well don't! We've all got shortcomings to face and problems we wish we didn't have, but you can't just lie down and give in to all of your troubles! You've got to fight them! Fight your problems and never let them stand in your way!"

Just then, a voice came in from nowhere. "That's not always easy to do... The problems Ed would have to fight are his parents! Muh ha ha ha ha!" Then, a shadowy figure that looked like Ed emerged. "I am Ed's inner demon, or at least a representation of him. Ed's sinking deeper and deeper into despair, thanks to me." "Anya, I'm sensing that he isn't really Ed's inner demon at all. He's really a Digimon, and one of the worst kinds too," Lalamon reported. Then, I regained my resolve. "Identify yourself!" the two of us commanded. "OK, you asked for it," the demon answered. He changed his shape into his true form. "Wait a minute, I think I know you! You're Devimon!" Greg shouted. "How'd you know?" the demon Digimon asked. "Oh, I'm quite familiar with you. You're going down!" In his data-sphere, Greg charged up the Positron Laser attack. "Wait, Greg! You can't just attack him! You do that, and you'll kill Ed too!" Veemon said. "You're right..." Greg stopped charging the attack. Devimon laughed and fired a blast of unholy energy from his hands right at us! "AHHHHHHHH!" I felt us plummeting to the ground. The system was starting to break... I thought this might be the end.

"ANYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AA!"


	43. Chapter 32: Esperanza Blaster

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2013 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 32: Esperanza Blaster

Greg

"ANYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AA!" That was it! I couldn't take it anymore. "First Ed's possessed, now Anya's down. I've got to do more. I can't just stand there and let this happen! But wait... I shouldn't just run in guns blazing either. If I did that, I would be hurting more than helping. All these people need my help... Mr. Katou, Anya, Ed... and who can forget Jeri... There's got to be a way. There **must** be a way, and if I don't find it, we're all done for!" "Greg! Aren't you forgetting someone?" Veemon asked. "No, I don't think so." "I mean me, genius! I'm not just here making puppies, ya know! We're a team. You don't have to carry it all on your shoulders. That's a lotta pressure. That's why I'm here, to help lighten the load a little. That's what partners do. Now what do we need to do... right now?" "Protect Anya." "Right. So get in there!" We did as we started slashing away at Devimon and fighting off Apollomon Whispered. It started becoming too much for us. "It's becoming too much! There has to be another way to do both, and I'm gonna find it even if it kills me!" I shouted. Just then, a certain voice echoed back in my head. "_K__eep holding on to that feeling. Keep that in your heart and let it flow through your soul. The loyalty you have for your friends combined with the hope you're feeling right now will become courage, and that will guide you to the greatest power of all." _"You're right." I closed my eyes, searching for the hope. "I need to protect my friends!" I found it, and it was just like Doug said. My hope combined with my loyalty to become courage, and then I took it to the next level. The warm feeling kept coming to me, and I kept stoking the proverbial fire. I even held my hand to my heart. "Veemon... that warm feeling is back." "Tell me about it," Veemon agreed. "It's so... warm. I need to use that warmth... as a power source." I opened my eyes and quickly crossed my arms in front of me, then brought them back down. "**Mode Change Activate!"**

* * *

**MODE CHANGE_**

"_Imperialdramon, Mode Change!" We zoom into Imperialdramon's red eyes and face as it glows white. It fades away as the eyes are transferred to a more human-esque face, almost like a Megazord. Imperialdramon in general begins to take on a humanoid/Megazord appearance. His left arm flames up, then smolders out to gain more flexibility and a natural position. The knees flame up and then smolder out as well, expanding to form boots. His right arm gauntlet is equipped with the Positron Laser. He raises the Laser up and fires a blast in the sky, breaking through all the clouds. "Fighter Mode!" He then strikes a final pose._

* * *

Henry

We had turned on a feed to watch the battle. When I saw Imperialdramon Fighter Mode for the first time... my eyes nearly popped out of my skull. "I guess he picked it up faster than I thought he would," he reckoned. Mr. Logan rushed to the computer as well. "What's happening? Where's my son?" "Relax, Spencer. He's just gotten an upgrade," Dad said. "I don't see him!" I pointed to the feed. "You see, Mr. Logan, that's Imperialdramon Fighter Mode. Greg and Veemon Biomerged to Imperialdramon, then Mode Changed to Fighter Mode," I explained. That didn't help. "Well how do we get him out?" he asked. "We don't. Besides, he's probably safer in there than he would be otherwise. You just have to trust them, and hope for the best," I said. "Hope? How can you talk about hope at a time like this?" Mrs. Logan tried to silence her husband. "Spencer, there's nothing we can do. All we **can** do is watch... and pray." Mr. Rădulescu, Anya's dad, nodded his head. "Well spoken, Valerie. Indeed. I've mediated over wars and conflicts many times over, but there is nothing we can do here. It is all up to them. We must give them the support they need."

Just then, another window popped up. Grani was moving around and Mr. Mizuno let out a whoop of joy! He quickly moved back to my Digivice. "Grani's alive! I think it's trying to emerge!" Yamaki remarked. "Then why don't we make it so? With a blue card!" He produced a Blue Card and scanned it through the D-Arc. "Digi-Modify!" For being as old as he was, he could scan a Blue Card very well. I quickly shifted to the screen, where Grani was just about to emerge. "Isn't that a beautiful sight? Here he comes!" Babel announced. Dad clicked back to the feed, where a digital field appeared over the battle with the Optimizer (that's what Mr. Mizuno called it). Riley and Tally went to their computers. "A digital field has appeared in the sky over Shinjuku park. Emergence is imminent." "Grani is coming out to play!" "Showtime!" Grani appeared, its armor completely discolored. It was just white. "But why isn't it going anywhere?" I asked. We went back to the feed. Gallantmon was trying to jump up toward the Optimizer, but he just wasn't high enough. As he was falling, he unwittingly sent a burst of red light up to Grani. Grani lit up, and its armor turned red and yellow. Gallantmon landed on him, riding him like a hoverboard.

* * *

Greg

"I can't believe it. We made it to Fighter Mode! Now, let's face the devil!" I drew out a blade of light from the gauntlet and got ready to strike. "Splendor Blade!" As I slashed in my sphere with my sword, we slashed away at Devimon. Now I never took a sword-handling class in my life, especially not prior to this. But if you've never been Biomerged with a Digimon before, you probably wouldn't know what it's like. All of my moves were improvised or borrowed from what I had seen.

Devimon flew up and tried to strike back. That was just what I wanted him to do. We flew up as well and I charged up the Positron Laser. My movement inside the data-sphere was the same Kamehameha I always used, but it just looked different from the outside. "Positron Laser!" The energy hit Devimon head on, obliterating him! Luckily, we were high enough to where it didn't hurt the others.

After that, we floated down. Apollomon Whispered started charging toward us, but we blocked him and pushed him back. When he kept charging, we kept pushing. Soon, he got tired. I checked in Ed's data-sphere. He was running out of steam himself. "Hmm... Veemon, I've got an idea. A Digivice can normally heal or shoot out beams of light... at least they could on TV." "This isn't TV, Greg." "I know, I know. But maybe we can do something similar. Maybe we can charge the Giga Crusher with the power of hope. If it works, we can heal him. If not, then we won't have to see Ed anymore. It's a win win situation." "ARE YOU CRAZY!?" "Veemon... I'm confident we can pull this off, if you'll just buy into it." "All right. I buy into it." "Do you mean it?" "OK, OK. I mean it. What have we got to lose?" So, I dug deeper into my heart. I'm sure Veemon was doing the same thing. I took that feeling from my heart and charged it up, like I would for a Mega Crusher. But then, I charged it up some more until it became a sphere. "Power of hope, deliver our friend from the darkness within his soul!" I took the sphere into my right hand and drew it back up to my side. "ESPERANZA... BLASTER!" I thrust my extended right hand forward, firing the attack. From the outside, a green-and-white beam fired out of the laser and hit the black lion Digimon head on!

* * *

Ed

When Greg, as Imperialdramon Fighter Mode, hit me with his Esperanza Blaster attack, I began to see things as they really were. My parents really did mean well. My dad was doing what he thought was best for me. Deep down, I began to realize that they did love me or else they never would've bothered with me in the first place. It all began to make sense to me. If I could just tell them how I really felt, honestly and openly, maybe something could be worked out. I found something that had been missing for a long time in my life. That attack wasn't so much of an attack as it was an escape hatch. Coronamon and I split up into our separate forms, and I broke down in tears of joy.

* * *

Greg

We powered down. Rosemon was still recovering from the attack Devimon had laid out on her. So, I started pressing some buttons on my D-Arc. "Now let's see, I've never really looked into this," I said as I searched. "Whoa... this has a heal function? Sweet! It is a real Digivice. Well in that case... power to all our friends." I pressed the center button and thrust my D-Arc toward Rosemon. A white beam fired out of it and stayed there for about 5 seconds. Veemon and Coronamon each got a turn after that. I made sure I didn't forget them. Just then, Rosemon pointed to something. We looked. "Oh, that's just Gallantmon flying on his... Goblin Glider?" He flew to the top of a new monster, then inside it, and used his Lightning Joust to cut the central life cord and destroy it. Rosemon split up back into Anya and Lalamon as the 6 of us ran just above Gallantmon and looked up. "Whoa... nice ride," I said.

Later on, everyone split back into Digimon and Tamer. Takato looked up into a sphere that was in the middle of that building we'd been questioned in. "Jeri!" he shouted. The sphere lit up. "Oh, Jeri... I don't want you to suffer. I'll get you out of there if it's the last thing I do!" I approached him. "You know, Takato, I think you're really going to do it. I totally believe you, dude."

* * *

For those of you playing the home version of my fanfic:

I patterned the Esperanza Blaster attack after the Mind Crush from _Yu-Gi-Oh! _and the Masendan from _Dragon Ball Z. _


	44. Chapter 33: Beelzemon's Last Stand

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2013 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 33: Beelzemon's Last Stand

Ed

"So 010 is the international prefix used to dial somewhere outside of Japan, right?" I asked Yamaki. "Yes," he answered. We had gotten back from the battle and I was filled with new hope. I felt I could resolve my issues with my parents. So, I dialed the number of the main offices of M-Net. Unfortunately, I got a fast busy tone. I hung up, dejected. Tally looked out the window. "I don't believe it. The D-Reaper's insatiable, it's taken up most of the city, the freeways, even our communications systems. How do we know that we're not going to be next?" "We don't," Mr. Wong said. He turned around. "So don't get too attached to this place, we might have to leave in a hurry."

* * *

Calumon

The good news is, we found Jeri! The bad news is, we can't get her to say anything and she's just staring out into the distance. Even more bad news is that Beelzemon's captured by something. "Ah! Beelzemon wake up! We're trapped! And the D-Reaper's gotcha in an octopus thingy! This is not a good time to nap!" I shouted to him.

* * *

Yamaki

3:45 PM. Grani's first flight and fight were successful. Now we were running diagnostics on it. I stood in the back and supervised. Shibumi Mizuno was far more hands on. This was our baby, our entry into the fight. "Daisy, as soon as we're done running the system checks on Grani you can start installing the new equipment," Riley recommended. "The sooner the better," Daisy answered. Mizuno stroked his creation like it was a Rolls-Royce. "Wonderful. I've never seen a more amazing piece of machinery." At that point, Guilmon, the red dinosaur-type Digimon who formed half of Gallantmon, entered. "Well I have. Takato's parents have a machine in their store that makes bread!" "Ha ha ha, well I guess there's no way Grani here can compete with that." "It's tough." Just then... "Uh, Riley!"

4:00 PM. Everyone crowded around the computer. Apparently Daisy had found something in Grani's memory file. Riley reaccessed the file in a Windows Movie Video format. The video appeared snowy then cleared showing images the Digital World in its current state as a wasteland being destroyed by the D-Reaper. This clearly caused distress in most of the Tamers and Digimon. "Uh, look at all the destruction!" Henry cried. "Uh, no!" Rika closed her eyes and turned her head. Takato silently stared at the screen, upset. Ryo cracked his knuckles. "They can't last much longer." Greg stood there, punching his fist in his palm. Anya wept, while Ed stared at the screen. "According to the data we pulled from Grani about 47% of the Digital World has already been deleted. At this rate the whole plane will be wiped out in a matter of days if not hours," Dolphin reported.

"And it could be the same for us. Look at these images," I instructed. We had just received satellite pictures from government intelligence around the world. The D-Reaper had become a worldwide epidemic. "So we're not the only ones under attack, where else has D-Reaper appeared? " Janyu asked. "Uh, a more accurate question is where hasn't it appeared? D-Reaper's attacking communication systems from North America to Zimbabwe. It looks like the whole world's under siege," Tally answered. "The whole world..." Greg repeated in terror. Despair fell over the area like a sudden downpour. "My family, what will they do?" Daisy gasped. "This is madness. We give it everything we got, we put our children in danger and for what?" Mr. Matsuki demanded to know. Spencer Logan seemed to have a response. "I'll tell you for what. So they can DIE! That's it, we're going home!" "Dad... how do you know we even have a home to go to?" Greg asked. That made Spencer even more irate. "Well I don't care! I absolutely refuse to put my family in any further danger. Who knows what's happening to your grandparents and your younger brother Gary? I can't take this any more!" "Well you'll have to. We don't have any other choice. There's no plan B so we have to fight, and besides as long as we're here there's always hope," I said, taking off my sunglasses. "That's a lesson I learned from working with your sons and daughters, Mr. Matsuki and Mr. Logan. They don't give up and they fight with their hearts and souls. And now it's our turn. "

"All right, then give me one of these Digimen..." "Digimon," I corrected. "Well, Digi-whatever. I don't care which one, I'll take..." He played eenie meanie miney moe and landed on... "You! The blue one! What's your name again?" "Veemon, but I can't fight with you, especially in the mood you're in right now. Besides, I don't know you as well as I know Greg. He's my Tamer, and nothing can change that." "Greg, tell your monster to fight with me!" "No! It doesn't work like that." "_Valerie..._ tell Greg to..." "You heard what he said, Spencer. I can't. He can't. There's no way you're going to change that." She hugged her husband. "Besides... I don't want to lose you. I don't want to lose any of you." Spencer looked quite concerned. Veemon spoke again. "Look... Spencer, I think your name is. Now I know you're Greg's dad and all, and I think you're a pretty nice guy at heart. I'm glad to hear you want to help. But if fate wanted you to have a Digimon partner, you would've had one of your own. You can't use me. I'm not a weapon. I'm a Digimon. I've got feelings, ya know? Right now, my feelings are telling me that we're not compatible. No offense, Spencer, but right now, you're probably the last person in the world I'd want to fight with." "Why you little-!" Valerie and Mr. Matsuki had to hold him back. Mizuno had an explanation. "It's true. Mr. Logan, you don't know a single thing about Digimon. Children pick these things up far easier than we ever could imagine. Children understand harmony far better than we do. An adult would want to do everything his own way. He wouldn't be interested in cooperation. Based on how, er, forward you're acting at this point, I'd say Veemon was a bit intimidated by you." "Hmmm... oh, all right. You kids probably need all the help you can get. I won't stand in your way. But Greg, promise me something!" "What, Dad?" "...That you'll come back in one piece." Greg went to hug his parents. All 3 became choked up.

* * *

Beelzemon

"Beelzemon!"

I woke up. I don't know why I'd been staying asleep. Guess I kinda gave up. When I saw what I saw, I regained focus. "Huh. Huh? Uh, Jeri! Hang on kid, I'M GONNA GET YOU OUTTA THERE!" "Hey Jeri we're gonna get outta here! Ooh!" Just then, the sphere we were in started shaking and glowing. Calumon fell over and got back up. "I don't speak D-Reaper, but it sure sounds bad," he said. It seemed to me like I was moving further and further away from those two. "AH! JERI!"

* * *

Yamaki

4:15 PM. The brain expanded and gained spikes and balls around its perimeter. Green plates grew from the spikes and the brain changed color. "What in the name of Pete is that?" Janyu inquired. Dolphin investigated with his telescope. "It seems the D-Reaper's trying to defend...its core, the kernel of consciousness." "Huh! Look there's someone in there!" Rika called. We investigated the computer and could make out the vague impression of a large Digimon, probably a Mega level. "It's Beelzemon!" Renamon gasped. Takato took up the mantle of leadership. "Let's give him a hand guys, what do ya say?" Ryo gave a thumbs up and Takato turned to his shocked parents. "Don't worry, I'll be careful," he reassured them. He then tapped the shoulder of the then emoting Greg. "Come on." "Oh. Thanks, Takato. Um... Mom, Dad... I'll be careful too. I promise." Greg broke up from the trio and joined the others. "Come on, Veemon. Let's go." Everyone except the youngest, Suzie, headed out. She held onto Lopmon tightly. "Hey Lopmon, you stay behind and look after Suzie, okay?" Terriermon asked. "Oh alright...don't worry you can count on me!"

* * *

Greg

We made it outside and looked up at whatever that sphere was. Our mission was seemingly simple. All we had to do was defeat the D-Reaper and rescue Jeri. Even now, I don't particularly like Jeri that much, but she was the key to the whole operation. Takato stared at it intently. "The kernel sphere, I bet that's where Jeri is," he growled. "We've got company!" Ryo exclaimed. Sure enough, a swarm of bubble blowers showed up. "This must be their first defense," Anya noted. Cyberdramon and Guardromon jumped in front of them and charged into battle. "Prepare to meet your programmer!" the robot shouted. "Show time Guilmon!" "Yep, I'm ready!" Takato thrust his D-Arc up toward the sphere. "Hang in there Jeri, we're comin' to get you!" If there's one thing I learned from this whole experience, it's that Takato Matsuki knows how to turn up the drama. But then again, so can I.

**BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Biomerge Activate!"

"Guilmon Biomerge to... Gallantmon!"

He stabbed at a bubble-blowing beast. "D-Reaper! You've destroyed everything we love and you think we're gonna take it lying down? You have another thing coming!" Takato said. "We're mad as heck and we're not gonna take it anymore!" Guilmon added.

This was my chance to lead the team. I unclipped my D-Arc and thrust my left hand out to the side. "Ready?" I asked confidently. Nobody answered. They just got into position as well. "Greg... this is no time to fool around," Henry argued.

[BGM: "One Vision (Instrumental)" by Takayoshi Tanimoto**]**

Rika went first as she simply brought her D-Arc up. "Biomerge Activate!" Henry did this really awesome move with his arms and touched his D-Arc to his head. "Biomerge Activate!" Ryo threw his right arm at a diagonal to his right. "Biomerge Activate!" I thrust my D-Arc up to the sky, still in position. "Biomerge Activate!" I didn't get to see the others because my eyes were forced shut in a state of relaxation. Thankfully, Yamaki recorded the whole thing. If there was a Biomerge, Anya and Ed were sure to activate it.

* * *

_In a six-way split screen, we see the Tamers' Biomerge sequences. On the top row, from left to right, we see Rika, Henry, and Ryo. On the bottom row, from left to right, we see Greg, Anya, and Ed. _

"_Terriermon Biomerge to... MegaGargomon!"_

"_Renamon Biomerge to... Sakuyamon!"_

"_Cyberdramon Biomerge to... Justimon!"_

"_Veemon Biomerge to... Imperialdramon!"_

"_Lalamon Biomerge to... Rosemon!"_

"_Coronamon Biomerge to... Apollomon!"_

* * *

Yamaki

4:18 PM. I recorded the sequences for posterity. All it was was recycled animation neatly placed in a six-way _Match Game-_style split screen. I rubbed my brow and approached Spencer. "From what I can tell, your son is enjoying this way too much," I said. "Tell me something I don't know," he answered. Ivan, Anya's father, took a sip of his drink. "Think of it this way, Mr. Logan. Your son and my daughter are creating lasting memories they can treasure later," he mused. That aroused a look of disgust on Spencer's face. "Not together, I hope."

Suzie stared out the window intently, with hands and noses to the glass. "It looks really dangerous out there, but I guess they don't need our help if they asked us to stay here, huh Lopmon?" "Yeah I guess so. Uh I just hope you're right, Suzie." This was getting to be intense. I took out my lighter and started opening and closing the cap. "Grani's new equipment is installed. We are ready for takeoff," Riley reported. "Well it's now or never. Right, takeoff!" I ordered.

[BGM: "Theme from _Airwolf" by _Sylvester Levay]

We deployed Grani post haste. When his elevation reached a certain point, he set off.

* * *

Ed

After what happened last time, it was good to fight as regular Apollomon again. I rapidly punched the air inside my data-sphere. "Arrow of Apollo!" Outside, we continuously fired red hot arrows from the shining jewels on our hands. They hit the bubble blowers, but just as they died out, more came in. I checked the other data-spheres. Henry was in full Angry Tai Chi mode, roaring like a lion. Rika had a determined look on her face. "All right. Enough with the bobbing and weaving. Let's show 'em what we got. Spirit Strike!" On the battle feed, Sakuyamon released the four demons inside the pipes on her belt. Ryo raised his arm up. "Equip Accel Arm! Get 'em now!" "With pleasure!" Cyberdramon answered. "Thunder Clap!" Justimon slammed the Accel Arm to the ground, generating shockwaves. "You know, Veemon, I enjoy this way too much," Greg admitted with a smile on his face. "You won't," I warned. Greg just cocked his head and drew back his cupped hands. "Positron Laser!" He fired a blast that destroyed a large number of D-Reaper agents. "That's right, that's right. You keep coming back, and we'll keep blowing you up," Veemon called. "Mega Barrage!" MegaGargomon fired an array of missiles at the monsters. "Takato, we'll keep the agents busy for a while. You work on finding Jeri," Henry suggested. "Good idea." "Yeah, Takato, just think of us as Matsuki's Seven," Greg added. "Matsuki's Seven... I like that," Takato said. Gallantmon jumped up just as Grani was flying overhead. He made a perfect landing. "Grani! Let's go!"

* * *

Beelzemon

Whatever was holding me got tighter and tighter. I just had to lay down the law. "Hey, you D-Reaper scum! I don't know if you have ears or what, but listen up and listen good. You may have me hogtied for now, but I won't let you stop me! Rrrrraaagh!" I broke my hands free of the tubes then went for the one against my chest. That little squirt tried pointing out what I was doing to Jeri. Seconds later, I felt myself fading away. "JERI!" Turns out I was just kicked out of the sphere. I ran into that red knight Gallantmon. "Beelzemon!" He rode this flying thing. "Well it's about time you showed up. Jeri and Calumon are trapped inside whatever that is," I said. "I have an idea! Let's attack that thing together!" Gallantmon suggested. "You got it!" I transformed my hand into my trusty gun. "CORONA BLASTER!" "SHIELD OF THE JUST!" Both of our beams hit dead on but did absolute squat. "Oh man, we didn't even make a dent," the knight groaned in that goggle-headed pipsqueak's voice. Then, those birds showed up. Even more bad news!

* * *

Jeri

Turn me to stone. Do anything you want with me. Cover my eyes, there's nothing more they need to see. Turn me to stone, before there's nothing left of me. Make me a rock and not what I appear to be.*

* * *

Yamaki

4:38 PM. Riley made another discovery. Wonders never cease. Suzie and Lopmon were still pressed up against the window. "I don't think I can handle another surprise," Janyu remarked. "You'll like this one, our receivers picked up the D-Reaper's signal," Riley reported. Indeed, we got visuals of Gallantmon, who I had code named "Sir Dino Head". "Now we can actually see what's going on from the D-Reaper's point of view." "Finally, a development that might actually help us." Gallantmon and Beelzemon were surrounded by Searchers. "That's just what meets the eye. D-Reaper should be able to see through layers of programming," Janyu speculated. "Translating signal... now!" We zoomed inside the Mega-level to find Takato, looking around inside his data-sphere. Takehiro and Yoshie [Mr. and Mrs. Matsuki] stared in shock. Unfortunately, Riley accidentally hacked into the airwaves. As a result, the signal was transmitted to every TV within a 15-mile radius of Shinjuku. So now everyone who recognized these kids would know that they were actually inside their Digimon. As the images appeared on the screen, most of the parents were in genuine shock. Mrs. Wong took it hard. "Uh Henry!" When Imperialdramon, then Greg, appeared on the screen, Valerie just lowered her head. "So that Chinese kid was right..." Spencer said in a perfect deadpan. He slammed his fist into his palm. Janyu, Shibumi, and I knew the truth, but I had to create a facade. So I strategically forced my hand against the window in mock disbelief and shame. "Ugh, I didn't know. How could they merge with the Digimon? How could I have let it get this far?" It was the performance of a lifetime.

* * *

Lopmon

Suzie and I hid under the table. There I was, my Tamer too scared to even speak. She was whimpering and closing her eyes. I thought, "I've never felt so helpless, there must be something I can do." So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. "Blazing Ice!" I spit out shots of supercooled air and broke a window. The tall man in the sunglasses grunted and covered his head. "What are you doing?" he demanded. Suzie finally crawled out from under the table and stood there concerned as I got to the edge. "Lopmon, what's wrong?" she asked. "I can't sit by while our friends are in danger, I just can't. Help me, Suzie." I jumped from the window and started flying.

* * *

Yamaki

4:40 PM. I have come to the preliminary conclusion that Suzie Wong has untapped power. When Lopmon damaged government property by breaking a window and asked Suzie for assistance, the young girl beamed, nodded, and held tightly to her Digivice. It quickly lit up brightly as Lopmon jumped out the window.

**WARP DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Lopmon Warp Digivolve to... Antylamon!"

It was incredible. Through sheer force of will, she was able to Digivolve her Rookie into an Ultimate-level. I quickly looked up the brown Digimon in my database. If Suzie was able to Biomerge like the others, the two of them would become Cherubimon, one of the so-called "Celestial Digimon". Of course, that won't happen for some time. Suzie checked in her purse and pulled out a Modify card. Then, she happily scanned it with her D-Arc. "Digi-Modify! Yay! Radiant Glow Activate!" I looked down. Antylamon gained a glow and flew over the D-Reaper to the others. "Take care of Henwy and his fwiends for me, okay?" Suzie called out to her partner. That gave me an idea. I called Tally over. "Tally, can you find me a satellite that hasn't been destroyed by the D-Reaper?" She saluted and went to work.

* * *

Kazu

Guardromon, Kenta, and I were totally rocking in battle. "Oh yeah! Feel the wrath of BlackWarKazumon!" I backed up and bumped into Kenta. "What's the big idea?" I asked him. I found out what it was. We were surrounded by those bubble blowers. Seriously, there were at least 20 of them and only 4 of us! We freaked big time, but somebody came in. "Bunny Blades!" She slashed away at some of our problems. "Hey, we're saved by the bunny!" Kenta cheered. " Aye my aye, that's a one rabbit army," I added. "It's wonderful," MarineAngemon said in awe. She slashed away some more but then looked to that big sphere. " There's so many of them, I hope the others are all right."

* * *

Greg

"Well will you get a load of that? I haven't seen that many lasers since I saw _Star Wars," _I said. The center sphere was shooting leasers at Beelzemon so he pulled out his guns. It's always nice to watch the battle feed while you're working out. "You asked for it and you got it!" He shouted. Unfortunately, the lasers shot the guns out of his hands and sent Beelzemon flying back yelling. "Uh oh... that sounds means time's running out... for Beelzemon. Everybody outta the way!" I said in our merged voice. I made sure none of my friends were in the area and charged up a Mega Crusher. "Mega Crusher!" That attack wiped out a whole mob of bubble blowers. We lifted off and flew toward the scene. I checked the feed again. It looked like two plates broke off from the ring. Then, they split into smaller pieces, turned, and flew toward Gallantmon cutting him up. "Aw nuts. Takato!" That gave me just the need I needed as I brought my arms up. "Mode Change Activate!"

**MODE CHANGE_**

"Imperialdramon, Mode Change! Fighter Mode!"

* * *

Beelzemon

I was still being shot at, but I tried to avoid it. I flew to the sphere and saw an eye turn around and look at me. "You lookin' at me?" I asked the eye in the sky. "You lookin' at me? You lookin' at _me_? THEN WHO ELSE ARE YA LOOKIN' AT?"

* * *

Calumon

Okay Jeri, don't panic, don't freak out. Look at me, I'm relaxed, I'm going to go out my mind if **we don't get outta here! **

* * *

Beelzemon

The eye sounded like a computerized version of Jeri. "I am the Eye in the Sky. Looking at you, I can read Jeri's mind. Commencing data extraction from out of Jeri's memory." My eyes widened. "Huh? You, you're usin' Jeri's voice!" The eye scanned me. "Analysis complete, subject positively identified as Beelzemon, a Digimon that Digivolved from Impmon. Beelzemon, a Digimon that tried to harm Jeri Katou and other human children when they were in the Digital World. Beelzemon, the Digimon that destroyed Jeri Katou's partner, Leomon, in order to load his data and become stronger. Beelzemon, the Digimon that destroyed Leomon. Destroyed Leomon, destroyed Leomon." "Shut up!" "Destroyed Leomon." "Shut up! STOP USIN' JERI'S VOICE! Is that supposed to make me feel bad? Well it's not workin'! I don't care WHAT YOU THINK!" I took out my Corona Blaster and started forming a star. "What I did is beyond forgiveness, I don't need anyone to tell me that. No matter what I do I can't change the past. But what I can do is save Jeri! And let me tell you no talkin' eyeball's gonna stop me! CORONA DESTROYER!" The beam lit the star red and from the star a big red laser beam shot at that eyeball. "How's it feel to be on the other end of the whoopin' stick?" I asked, firing more lasers. If this is what atonement is, I'd like some more. "How'd ya like that? Not so chatty now, are ya?" I taunted. When the smoke cleared, it was like I hadn't done a thing. "What? I can't believe this!" Then it shot a pink beam at me. I moved away and got out, but my gun didn't. "NO! AH!" That gun was a symbol of the bond I had with Ai and Mako. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have had these wings. I wouldn't have been able to reach that stupid eye. My blood started boiling. "That was a gift from Mako, I'll make you sorry you ever came to this world! I'll make you pay!"

* * *

Greg

When we got there, those shards were sticking to Gallantmon and Grani like an angry swarm of bees. I pulled up Takato's data-sphere. "Did someone call an exterminator?" I asked. "I didn't, but I could sure use one," Takato answered. So, I charged and aimed an attack. Fighter Mode allowed me pinpoint precision. "Then I better call 1-800-POSITRON LASER!" I fired a blast that decimated the plates. "This one's on the house," I said in our fused voice. Gallantmon returned his thanks.

* * *

Takato

Someone's voice came in. "Takato, come in. Can you hear me?" "Huh? Mr. Yamaki?" How did he get in our system? "Okay Takato, you need to listen carefully. Grani has been equipped with a powerful weapon called the Yuggoth Blaster. I want you to use it on the D-Reaper." I nodded. "With pleasure, sir." Oh man, a new weapon. The only thing was that I didn't know how to use it. All we could do is hope for the best and make it up. When we got there, Beelzemon was dead tired. "Beelzemon! You better get outta the way!" He got out and just in time. "Yuggoth Blaster!" Grani shot a huge blast at the Reaper. "Bullseye!" I cheered. The blast destroyed the outer shell leaving the inner core exposed. "Huh? I knew it! There's Jeri! And Calumon with her!" Beelzemon flew to that and started pounding on it. "Jeri!" I shouted with him. "Jeri! You have to listen to me! Beelzemon's bent on saving you, he's gonna keep trying no matter what so please, you have to let him help you!" "Ta...ka...to," she answered weakly. Beelzemon kept punching away. "You... ugh... ugly... ugh... stinkin'... fish …. bowl, let...her...go! I'm gonna get you out Jeri, IF IT'S THE LAST THING I FREAKIN' DO!" "Beelzemon, he really wants...to save me? I don't...understand." The flying demon stopped to catch his breath, then raised his fist to the sky and yelled. "Give me the strength I need!"

* * *

Greg

I got an idea. "Hey Takato, how about I charge up an Esperanza Blaster? Nothing says hope like a giant cannon," I offered. "I think he's good, Greg," Takato said, smiling. I looked at Beelzemon, and sure enough, he was about to do something big. "FIST... OF... THE BEAST KING!" The fire blazed at the shell, breaking it open. Then he stuck his head inside the shell, breathing hard. "This is awesome!" I pulled up everyone's data-spheres. "Beelzemon cracked open the shell!" I checked again so I could give a more accurate report, but things started looking worse. "Um, more details later." I quickly shut everyone's spheres off. I didn't want to give them any false hopes. More shards were breaking off, and they were headed right for the core! From the battle feed, it looked like Jeri didn't want to go out. "Take my hand, take it!" Beelzemon shouted. "I'm trying to help you, please!" "JERI TAKE HIS HAND!" Takato screamed. But soon, it became evident that Jeri was not going. Maybe she wasn't ready. Maybe she liked being captured. I don't know. The shards hit him dead on, causing him to scream and let go. He fell over the side of the shell and his data started to scatter and reattach itself. "Please...I just need...one more chance...Jeri. JERI!"

"Greg! Aren't you gonna do something?" Veemon asked urgently. "Veemon... if I saved him, do you realize how weird that would look? We've gotten into so much trouble because of this guy. It wouldn't be right for me to do it." "You know... when you want to, you can be cold-hearted. He may have scared the living daylights out of you, but doesn't he deserve a chance? Doesn't he deserve some hope? I mean, here he is, trying to save our friend and what do you do? Stand to the side and refuse to help. Hope is meant to be shared, and dang it, **I want you to share it with him**!" "_You_, Veemon... are a really good conscience. And you've got a point. Let's go." So, we swooped down to see what we could do. MegaGargomon and Sakuyamon got a similar idea, as did Rosemon. He fell further and further into the D-Reaper. In fact, he was starting to dissolve. "Hang on, Beelzemon!" "Don't give up, you can make it!" "Don't give up the fight! Never surrender!" "Forget about me, just save Jeri." It sounded like he was ready to give up. We tried harder, slashing away at some D-Reaper cords. Gallantmon wasn't so lucky as he got caught up. "JERIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Beelzemon's voice trailed as he went further and further down.

* * *

* Jeri's quote comes from "Stereotomy" by The Alan Parsons Project.


	45. Chapter 34: Home and Away

Digimon Tamers International

Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02, etc. ©1999-2013 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Chapter 34: Home and Away

Greg

"Beelzemon, no!" Gallantmon shouted. "That's it? He's really gone?" Terriermon asked. "In the end he was a true friend," Renamon duly noted. Takato looked absolutely ticked. "That's it D-Reaper! No more!" His hoverboard, Grani, must've thought the same thing because it flew out of the D-Reaper carrying Impmon on it. It also slashed away at the cords. Sakuyamon took Impmon with her as the board flew back to Gallantmon. "He's okay, weak but okay," Rika analyzed. "Someone should find his Tamer, I don't know if I can heal him," I said. "Why should _you_ heal him?" Rika asked. "Like I said, someone should find his Tamer." " Whew, it's about time we can thankful for something. Now let's go get Jeri," Guilmon suggested. "Are you with us?" Takato asked. "Of course. The sooner we save her, the sooner things can get back to normal," I answered.

* * *

Yamaki

4:59 PM. We had tapped into Gallantmon's system again and needed to send another message. Apparently the military forces of the world had interceded. "Takato, get outta there," I urged. His voice came back. "What do you mean? Why?" "We're getting word that the Global Task Forces are about to attack." "The planes are only a minute away and closing fast," Tally added. "I'll try to raise them on the radio," Riley suggested. She sent a message to them. No luck. "They're not responding to any of my transmissions, get them out!" I nervously held onto the mic portion of my headset. "Takato listen to me, the planes are headed your way and we can't reach them. If you're not out of there in less than a minute you won't have a prayer." Time was ticking. Only 40 seconds to go. "No way! We can't leave!" Takato declared. "What? Why not?" "Jeri's in there, that's why not! She's trapped inside the D-Reaper, in that kernel thing." Now I don't consider myself a sucker for the whole "love-conquers-all" gambit, but I wasn't about to throw away the slightest possibility. "Do you think you can get to her?" I asked. Janyu rushed to my desk. "NO! They have got to get out of there right now if you can't stop those planes!" "There's no time, they're only thirty seconds away," Tally urgently reported. I went back to Takato. "Takato, you have got to get out of there immediately." "We can't, I'm not leaving anyone behind! Maybe we can stop the bombs before it's too late." Inwardly, I growled. Stupid lovesick kid. I spelled it out. "That is _not_ an option, you're the only hope we have. We can't risk losing you. Now fall back!" It was true. They were the only hope we had. Then, my mind came to the conclusion it can only make in a dire split-second situation. I recalibrated the satellite to get into Imperialdramon's system. "Greg, come in," I said.

* * *

Greg

"Hold on guys, now I'm getting something from Yamaki," I said. "You're a key part of this scenario. Get Anya and Ed to pull back with you. Hope will not protect the reckless." "And leave the others? Are you crazy?" "If you try blowing up those planes with your laser, you, Veemon, and everyone else could be criminally charged and tried for war crimes." "Criminally charged?!" I pulled up everyone's data-spheres. "Guys, don't attack the planes! We could get criminally charged." "Then that's just a risk we'll have to take," Takato said in complete determination. I started thinking. "How could he be so stupid? And yet... he's devoted to protecting Jeri. I've got to admire him for that." So, I made up my mind. "Mr. Yamaki, I'd rather die with my head high and my friends by my side then run away with my tail between my legs. I won't attack, but I won't back down either."

* * *

Yamaki

5:00 PM. I sighed. "It's your funeral." I hung up on him. The planes came in and dropped their devices. They fell into the D-Reaper as it gained white spots. " Well they don't seem to be doing much, unless those pulses are some kind of laser blasts. Maybe they think the D-Reaper's defenses are weaker on the inside. My monitor's going haywire," Dolphin said. Babel came up with a logical conclusion. "Of course, that's it! I bet the planes dropped a jamming device. It's a machine that sends out magnetic waves to disrupt the D-Reaper's communications network." Just then, another voice came in. "Well did it work?" "Huh?" Dolphin asked. "Hope it didn't give you all a scare," the male voice continued. The image was a bit shaky, but I could make out a blonde-haired man wearing a bushman's hat. He looked like Paul Hogan. "Is that really you Johnny?" "Johnny?" Janyu asked. "It's me alright. I'm working with the Global Task Force on this," Johnny answered. Mizuno rushed to the screen. "As I live and breathe, which is a surprise itself, it's Johnny!" he remarked in surprise. Johnny tipped his hat and smiled, then we lost him.

* * *

Calumon

"I hate this! I hate this! I hate this! Just let me out!" Jeri kept slamming the wall. "I hate this..." Then, she dropped to her knees and cried. "I can't take this anymore," she sobbed. My ears drooped. Poor Jeri...

"It's curious why emotions ever evolved." "Huh?" We turned around, and there was an evil blue scaly-looking thing that looked just like Jeri. "Such an obstruction to logic, an evolutionary step backward. What you call compassion only bonds you to others who can make you weak." "Stop it! Stop talking in my voice!" Jeri screamed, but she got caught up in red wires while she was covering her ears. I knew I had to do something, anything. So I bravely jumped on the wires and tried pulling them off. "Ooh, eeh, oh. OH!" A cord snapped me away. "Your feelings of despair are providing the D-Reaper all the energy it needs," the scaly-looking thing said. "No! Please, stop this! Takato!" She dropped to the floor and picked herself up a little. "HELP ME!" But then, more hot wires grabbed the scaly-looking thing and drew her down.

* * *

Jeri

Even when it looks like I'm hurting it, I'm helping it. What if I just caused the whole world to be erased?

* * *

Yamaki

5:03 PM. Something was happening. I looked out the window, and lo and behold, the brain glowed brightly. The jamming devices stopped blinking and red beams shot out from all over the D-Reaper. " I'm getting massive energy spikes! Its heat output is up over 200%! And I'm not reading the magnetic pulses anymore." "Find out what's happening right now!" I ordered.

* * *

Calumon

I did anything I could to cheer her up, so I pulled on her cords. "Come on Jeri, you gotta help me. You do remember what helping is, don't you? That's not it!" When she got up, I got snapped away again. "Neither is that!" "All of this is my fault, the world would be better off without me," Jeri moaned. More cords came up. "Don't say that!" I shouted. She started screaming again. "Jeri you have to stop! The D-Reaper will keep feeding on you until you're all gobbled up!"

* * *

Greg

I tapped into Takato's data-sphere. We heard a distinct female scream, Jeri's. "Huh, Jeri! Hold on!" Enough was enough. "Is that all you can think about, Takato? Your precious Jeri? Look, I get it, you're in love with her. That's the way it should be, and I want you to be happy. Heck, ultimately, I'd like the end of famine and war, but we can't always get what we want right away. Sometimes you've got to think about yourself." I tapped into Henry's sphere. "Henry, you're the voice of reason. Would you _please _try to reason with him?" I practically begged. "What do you want me to say?" he asked. "I don't know. Say anything. Hold up a boombox, hold up a sign. Punch him across the face for all I care. If you won't then _I certainly will_!" "Somebody ought to slap you," Anya mused.

Just then, something happened. Chaos bubbles came out of those cords and fused the two building tops and the brain together to form this giant... thing. "Man that thing is huge! The minute we get used to one form the D-Reaper becomes another more powerful than the last! Are we ever gonna get a break?" Henry asked in desperation. "This just can't be happening!" Takato cried. "I'm afraid to find out what that thing can do," Henry went on. "I thought we'd find out whether you're afraid or not," Terriermon quipped. Something came up from the D-Reaper. "Oh great, something else to figure out," Rika groaned. "Well no matter what it is or how dangerous it is, we can't give up on tryin' to save Jeri! Now let's go get her!" Takato shouted. "You're a lovesick fool, Matsuki!" I shouted back. Guilmon hummed, like he was about to say something. "What's wrong, Guilmon?" the goggle-headed boy asked. "Even at Mega level, if we go in there we'll lose our power, remember? I don't know what we can do Takato." "I forgot all about that," he gasped. We started flying back. "It's not what any of us want Takato, but we've got to pull back and figure out a plan of attack," Renamon said. "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread, Comrade Takato," Anya added. "Yes, Takato, we've had our thrills for today, it's time to go home," Ed insisted. Gallantmon looked behind him. "No!" Takato yelled. Henry finally figured out what he was going to say. "Believe me Takato, I feel the same way but we don't have any other choice. That thing's just too powerful. If we go after it without any idea of what we're up against we could sacrifice the world's only chance of survival. Us!"

We made it back to the specified location, landed, and powered down. The first people to greet us were our parents. We spent the next week trying to figure out what to do. It was the slowest week of the nearly 13 years I had spent living. There was nothing to do. Any attempts at using time productively were passed aside with a shrug and rationalization. It just felt like we were delaying the inevitable. Dad took it hard. Every so often, he'd yell at me for getting involved in the first place. Mom kept reminding him there was nothing we could do.

We met later over lunch at the Tsukuba Communications Research lab. "I know we need a plan, but it sure feels like we're just...giving up," Takato sighed. "Rushing in right now would be suicide, don't worry Takato. We're working on a plan but we need time to put it into action," Mr. Wong tried to reassure him. "But Jeri is still out there! I just know she is! We've got to get in there and save her before it really is too late," the goggle-headed kid argued. Mr. McCoy (everyone called him "Dolphin" for some reason) pinned up a picture of the Jeri Clone. "We'll get to her Takato, as long as we...still can." Takato looked like he was going to cry. In fact, he did. It was a pitiful sight. I even offered one of my chocolate chip cookies to him. He didn't take it, but Guilmon did.

So, we decided it would be best to part ways and think of a new strategy. Takato and Guilmon went with his parents to a beach house Mr. Matsuki had a timeshare on. The Wongs stayed in Shinjuku, while the Nonakas went their ways. Anya and her folks went home to Moscow.

Veemon and I Biomerged and we took my parents, Ed, and our bags. We dropped Ed off in South Africa, where we finally met Ed's dad. His name was Nigel Phillips and he was one of the bigwigs at M-Net. "I certainly want to thank you for bringing Edward home," he said in his posh South African accent. Mom got right in front of him, and was she steamed. "I hope you're happy, **buddy**. Both of our sons had to go through a lot of grief because you couldn't bother to show up. Now based on what they've told me, it seems Ed isn't particularly happy being the head lion in your circus." "Mrs. Logan, I'm fine. Thank you," Ed cut in. He turned to his dad. "Dad... I know that I have an opportunity very few get. All my life, I've been in the spotlight. Well now, I see that it's not that fun. That's why I'd like to take a permanent leave of absence from _Harmony Street. _I'd even be happy to do a finale, a two-parter even." "My son..." Mr. Phillips dropped down to Ed's level. "I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I've come to the conclusion that I've been a selfish cad. I've been watching the news, I've seen what's been happening in Tokyo. I've realized that there is nothing more important... then being a good father. I don't want to lose you, son, and I apologize for forcing you to do what you don't want to. Can you ever forgive me?" Ed burst into tears as the two hugged. "Of course, Dad." I wanted to say something, but Veemon hushed me. I figured he was right. Why ruin a good moment?

Later, we flew back to Flower Mound. I made it home just in time to go back to school. The principal wanted to know why I was absent for the entire semester. When I tried explaining, she laughed in my face and demanded a note. So, during lunch, Veemon and I flew back to Shinjuku and got a very well-written note signed by all the Monster Makers and Mr. Yamaki. I got back just in time for 3rd period. She seemed satisfied enough, and informed me that I would be in summer school that year.

* * *

Anya

There was nothing we could do, so my family and I returned home. School was still in session so back I went. Fortunately for me, I am a good student. Even as I was doing my homework, I could not help but think I was needed elsewhere. Not that I would ever consider throwing away a good education, but still. Lalamon seemed to enjoy Russia, but she was becoming restless as well.

* * *

Takato

When we got to the timeshare, Guilmon and I laid on the deck. "I feel like such a coward, but I guess it's out of my hands now," I lamented. "You mean our hands, right?" Guilmon asked. I sighed. "Yeah. You know Guilmon, even some place as beautiful as this is isn't very restful if you're anxious inside." "Yeah." "Takato! Yo, Takato!" We looked up. My cousin Kai ran towards us. "Hey Takato, it's been a long time," he said. "Kai, what's up? I see you're still working on your surfer accent. When'd ya get here?" I asked. He tossed me his bag and stared out into the ocean. "Just now. Man, the ocean sure is righteous here." "Yeah, Guilmon and I were just talking about how...righteous it is," I lied.

* * *

Rika

Mom decided it was time for a vacation, so we went to an oceanfront hotel by Yokohama Harbor. The views of the port were nice, but it just wasn't the same. We had lunch at the hotel restaurant. It was pretty classy, but rustic. "Rika honey, stop fidgeting," Mom said. "You'd think a fancy place like this could afford cushions for the stupid seats," I grumbled. "I heard that, you know." "Good." Renamon caught my attention. "Rika," she whispered. "What?" "I don't think I can just sit here like this." "I know Renamon, but there's nothing we can do right now," I reasoned. "So Renamon, you're a girl, right?" Mom asked. "Actually, Digimon aren't divided into genders. However, my Ultimate and Mega forms are feminine, so technically yes." "Besides, only a woman could wear fur that well. Either way you're still part of our family," Mom said, smiling. Then Grandma spoke up. "Rika, I know this isn't the way you'd like things to be, but I think it's important to spend time as a family right now, okay?" I had my D-Arc under the table. I just halfway smiled, nodded, and gripped it tighter. I can't stop thinking about Jeri.

* * *

Takato

I guess I should probably explain about my cousin Kai. In the summer of 2001, Henry and I went to Okinawa where Kai and my grandfather lived. Henry explored some undersea ruins in the Ryukyus, and we all got in a whole lot of trouble with something called a V-Pet. It's a long and complicated story. Kai and I went out on the beach and looked out at the water. It was too cold to go swimming. "So Kai, how come you're here anyway?" I asked. "Hey, I couldn't just stay in Okinawa while my cousin was dukin' it out with that thing. Besides, have you seen this fantastic view? Primo." "Mm hmm." "Can I ask you something?" " Sure." "You guys are...like out there to _save the world_ or something, huh?" "Well I guess so, but I really just want to stop the D-Reaper from hurting more people. People like...Jeri." Kai grinned. "You like her, don't you?" he asked. I quickly turned. "Huh? What?" "She's your first love, dude." "I don't...I mean..." "Go on, admit it." My face turned redder than a turnip. "Yeah okay, I guess I like her. I mean, I do." "That's why you're in so much pain, she's a part of you." "Does it ever get any better, Kai? I mean, I don't know if I can take all this."

* * *

Greg

I explained everything to my little brother, Gary. "So ya mean that's actually a Digimon?" he asked. "Yep, the real thing. He's your new little brother, I guess. I mean, he's not a dog or anything." "You're darn right I'm not a dog," Veemon agreed. Gary went back to swinging on the swing set we had. I got on myself and started swinging. "So does this mean you'll have to go back?" Gary asked. "Yep. My buddy Henry, his dad, and his dad's friends are working on a solution. I'm just waiting for them to get back to me. You know, Imperialdramon can go across the world like it was nothing. Today during lunch, we flew back to get a note explaining why I missed so much school. All the Monster Makers signed it." "What do you mean, 'Monster Makers'?" "They originally created the Digimon program. Not the cartoon, but the program itself." "Does this mean your friend Henry is rich?" "Not exactly. I mean, they're well enough off, like we are. I'd consider them middle class, maybe upper middle class." "Oh." "You know, maybe when you get older, you can get a Digimon yourself." I looked at him, trying to visualize which one he'd get. "Maybe you'll get a Gomamon or something." "I'd like that. But you know what would be really cool?" "What, Gary?" "A Tentomon." "Yeah! A giant bug!"

* * *

Dolphin

February 7, 2002. 4:45 PM. We got Johnny Beckenstein back on the line. "So, what's the news, Johnny?" I asked. "It's not good Dolphin, the D-Reaper has begun expanding in other countries as well. The magnetic disruptors have been disrupted themselves and our satellite communications aren't gonna last much longer from the looks of things." "So what's the bad news?" Janyu asked. "Actually there is some good news, a sensor inside the D-Reaper's field is still sending back data. Even though most of the sensors were deleted there were still a few that remained hidden among the buildings." He held an open one up. "We were just lucky the D-Reaper hadn't found them and taken them out. Anyway, the data they've been sendin' back is pretty strange." " What do ya mean, Johnny?" I asked. He explained some more. "At first we thought the sensor had malfunctioned, then we realized that the D-Reaper zone is essentially an evenly distributed region of energy. The weak and strong forces are in complete balance with each other and this is the kicker, the particles inside are traveling at a rate..." "Wait, let me guess, at a rate faster than the speed of light?" I guessed. "It's a quantum bubble," Janyu concluded.

We concluded that a combination of a vortex and the Juggernaut program would reverse any process the D-Reaper had started and would convert it back to a harmless program. We code named the operation "Doodlebug" and searched for a likely candidate. The only Digimon that could create that vortex was Terriermon, so we enlisted him and his Tamer, Henry. It looked like another Wong would join the Monster Makers. We asked Terriermon for his consent. Realizing that he was technically a minor, we asked Janyu, who asked Henry. "Geez, don't worry about the whole legal mumbo-jumbo. I'll do it," the terrier-like Digimon agreed, somewhat annoyed. We had Henry and Janyu sign a number of legal documents and cut both of them checks in the amount of US$150.

Meanwhile, Daisy was investigating some battle footage of the Esperanza Blaster attack Imperialdramon Fighter Mode had used against Apollomon Whispered. She eventually came to a conclusion that what the beam actually did was inject endorphins into the brain that responded to positive feelings, thus relieving the brain of any stress and evoking feelings of hope. I quickly laughed it off, but Janyu and Yamaki decided to validate it anyway. Yamaki quickly wrote a letter and cut a check in the amount of US$250 on the condition that the attack's creator, Greg Logan, would allow Monster Makers to research it further.

So we laid Terriermon on a scanner and taped sensors on him. "Don't worry Terriermon, this'll be over before you know it," Janyu reassured him. "Moumentai," the Digimon answered. Henry approached his father. "Hey Dad, why are you scanning Terriermon?" Janyu, being the smart man that he is, told a half-truth. "I need to get an idea of the compositional differences between digimon and the D-Reaper. So we can figure out how to target it." Terriermon went to scratch his ear. "My ear feels really funny," he reported. "Sorry, I'll reduce the scanner's intensity," Janyu replied, doing so. A few moments later, the bed was pulled out as Henry went to collect his Digimon.

5:30 PM. Tally had more bad news to report. " The D-Reapers from all over the world are joining together to form one being." "And that's not all, its temperature's increasing," Riley added. "It's so big, if that thing gets any hotter it could change the temperature of the entire planet," Daisy gasped. "The Polar Ice Caps would melt and flood most of the earth in a matter of days," I realized in horror. Yamaki fooled around with his lighter again. "Well then you better hurry up on Operation Doodlebug," he said, pausing to put on his sunglasses, "or else we'll all have to face an inconvenient truth." Babel, trying to distract himself, turned up his CD player, and soon the entire office was listening to the duclet screams of Roger Daltrey.

* * *

Jeri

Takato! Takato! Help me! HELP ME!

* * *

Takato

"Huh, Jeri, no." "What? What's wrong?" Kai asked. Guilmon quickly walked over. "Takato, what's the matter?" "I heard Jeri, Guilmon. She needs us now!"

* * *

Henry

There was no more time to wait. We had to act fast. I started walking down the hall with Terriermon when Mr. Mizuno stopped me. "Henry." "Huh?" I turned around. "Mr. Mizuno." "I've got something for you," he said as he handed me a red card, "I put an algorithm on this card that may give you and the others the edge you need over the D-Reaper. It's got two effects. If you scan it now, it'll alert the others. I'll explain the other effect after you scan the card." "Thank you so much. I just knew you'd come through." I slashed the card through the D-Arc and a red light shot out of it.

* * *

Greg

I didn't get much sleep that night, especially when my D-Arc went off. I kept it on my nightstand by my glasses just in case. "Hmmm?" I turned on my lamp and put on my glasses, then checked it. It was in Japanese. "Hey... Veemon," I whispered to my buddy, who was asleep at the bottom of the bed. I crawled over to him and showed him the message. "Huh? Now why'd you have to wake me up now?" he grumbled, half-asleep. "My D-Arc just went off, and I've got a message in Japanese. What's it say?" He looked at it. "Oh, that's just Henry." "Oh..." We did a double-take. "HENRY!?" we shouted at the same time. I quickly got up, got dressed, and went to the kitchen.

"Yep, good ol' Hank. Had to wake us up in the middle of the night. Well, we might as well get breakfast," I ranted. I quickly checked the refrigerator and we carb loaded on leftovers. Just then, the phone rang. I answered it. "Hello?" I asked. "You have a long-distance call from Cape Town, South Africa. Will you accept the charges?" I covered the speaker. "It's probably Ed," I whispered, then I uncovered the speaker. "Of course I'll accept the charges," I said. Seconds later, Ed came onto the line. "Hallo, Greg," he greeted me. "Ed, what you doing calling me collect at 3 in the morning? And more importantly, how'd you get my number?" I asked him. "We exchanged phone numbers before we parted ways, remember? My D-Arc went off, it's probably Henry. Hey, I know this is last minute, but I was thinking you were going to head there on the way and I was wondering if you'd give me a ride." "Oh yeah, yeah. Sure. Come fly the friendly skies of Imperialdramon Air Lines." I started whistling the end piece of Rhapsody in Blue. "OK, OK, I get it. It is last minute but I've been doing my research, boet. Imperialdramon is one of the fastest Digimon in the world. Maybe there was a reason you were chosen to become him, hmmmm?" "Hmmm... I suppose you're right. I'll be there in about 30 minutes. What time is it over there?" "11 AM." "Oh. All right. Give me some time to brush my teeth and I'll be there. Where should I meet you?" "Outside the M-Net office, 40 Heerengracht in Cape Town, where you dropped me off last time." "OK. I figure this'll be my Good Turn for the day. See you." I hung up.

Right as I was brushing my teeth, the phone rang again. Unfortunately, Dad got it. "Hello? What do you mean it's from Moscow, Russia? GREG! It's for you!" I quickly rinsed out my toothpaste and ran to answer the phone. "Hello, Anya." "Salutations." "Same here. Let me guess, you want me to pick you up?" "How'd you know?" "Ed asked the same thing. The answer is yes, where should I pick you up?" "Luckily, I live very close by to Saint Basil's Cathedral. I hope you don't mind if you will meet me there." "OK. I'll be there very soon. Why don't you wait there?" "All right. Thank you." "You too, Anya. Bye." I hung up. Dad shook his head in disappointment and disgust. "How in Sam Hill are you going to get to Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow?" "Let me put it this way to you, Dad. A promotional fee has been paid to ABC by Imperialdramon Air Lines. Come fly the friendly skies." "Do I look like Al Michaels to you?"

* * *

Rika

I knew it was a good idea to bring my D-Arc. "Henry's calling. It's time for us to go, Renamon," I said. I turned to my mom and grandma. "I'm sorry Grandma and Mom." We made our way outside and checked to make sure no one was watching. Then, I got into position. "Ready?" Renamon nodded. "Then let's do this." I thrust my D-Arc to the sky. "BIOMERGE ACTIVATE!" "Renamon Biomerge to..." "Sakuyamon!" We started flying toward Shinjuku. "And this time, there's no stopping us. There can't be."

* * *

Takato

"So, you're going back to fight, are you?" Dad asked. "I'm sorry, I have to, the whole world is depending on us," I tried to explain. Mom moaned. "It's just so dangerous, son."

* * *

Greg

Dad, Veemon, and I walked outside to a nearby high school parking lot. "You know, I'd just like to invite the whole family to see this fight, but... I can't. It wouldn't be safe." "Yeah, besides, you were just dying to get out of Japan. Why come in again?" Veemon asked. "Greg... I just want you to know..." "Know what?" "That I love you. Your mother, brother, and I will all be cheering for you. I don't agree at all with what you're doing, and I wish you didn't have to, but you've got to do it. All I want, is for you to come home safely." He tussled my hair and we hugged. "I love you too, Dad." I walked out away from him. "Ready for take off, Veemon?" "You got it, dude!" He gave me a thumbs up. I looked toward Dad. He gave me a thumbs up too. I looked around again, making sure there weren't any cars coming toward me. "I'll be back," I said. I unclipped my D-Arc with my right hand, and quickly brought it up to the sky. "BIOMERGE ACTIVATE!" If anyone was driving by that morning, they would've seen me slowly being consumed by platinum circles of light and they would've heard some pretty cool music. "Veemon Biomerge to..." "Imperialdramon!" We roared in tribute to him, then took off and went on our way.

* * *

Takato

It was nearly time to go. "I just wanted to say I love you," I told my parents. Mom covered her mouth and cried. "We wish you didn't have to fight, but we understand and we're proud that you're our son," Dad said, trying to fight back tears. "Don't worry, we'll be back soon, I promise," Guilmon reassured them. Mom went over to him and petted him, then she looked at me. We stared into each other's eyes for a moment, not in a creepy way of course. "You're everything to us Takato, please be careful." I smiled. " I will Mom, I promise." I turned to Guilmon. "Come on Guilmon, let's go." We started running as I took off my coat. I tossed it to Kai. "You can do it!" Kai cheered. We turned around and laughed as I raised my D-Arc to the sky.

* * *

Ed

Coronamon and I waited outside the M-Net studios. "So this is it, eh?" Coronamon asked. "Yeah, I guess so. It's been a real wild ride, hasn't it Coronamon?" "Most fun I've ever had. I couldn't have asked for a better Tamer than you." "I agree. I couldn't have asked for a better friend than you. You're probably the first true one I've ever had." "It doesn't have to be that way, you know. You now know how to make friends with the others. You'll be cherishing those relationships for a lifetime." "Eh, maybe you're right." Just then, we heard a roar. We looked up, and there was our ride, Imperialdramon. I had Dad make room in the car park for him. "Imperialdramon Air Flight Double-O Seven for Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan via Moscow now boarding," he announced. We got behind him and he beamed us in his pouch. Then, he lifted off again. The cabin wasn't much, but then again I knew this flight wouldn't take long. Greg started pretending he was a pilot. "Good morning, this is your captain speaking. You are free to move about the cabin, but please refrain from Biomerging until we arrive at our location."

* * *

Anya

When you live close to St. Basil's Cathedral, like I do, you tend to think a lot about religion. I had prayed and offered every religious rite I could for protection. "The end is quickly approaching, Lalamon," I stated. "Eh, do you have to talk so formally?" she asked back. "Well... no." "Then why do you?" "I don't know. But now is not the time to talk about speech patterns." I pointed up to the sky. "The dragon enters." Imperialdramon flew around the cathedral, roaring. Then he landed in front of us. "Let me guess, I'm going to be on the news tonight," he said. "We may all be," I reasoned. He beamed us up and then took off again. "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more," Lalamon quietly said.


	46. Chapter 35: Jeopardy!

_Digimon Tamers International_

_Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02_, etc. ©1999-2013 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, Saban Brands, BVS Entertainment, etc.

All Rights Reserved

* * *

Previously on _Digimon Tamers International..._

Takato

It was nearly time to go. "I just wanted to say I love you," I told my parents. Mom covered her mouth and cried. "We wish you didn't have to fight, but we understand and we're proud that you're our son," Dad said, trying to fight back tears. "Don't worry, we'll be back soon, I promise," Guilmon reassured them. Mom went over to him and petted him, then she looked at me. We stared into each other's eyes for a moment, not in a creepy way of course. "You're everything to us Takato, please be careful." I smiled. " I will Mom, I promise." I turned to Guilmon. "Come on Guilmon, let's go." We started running as I took off my coat. I tossed it to Kai. "You can do it!" Kai cheered. We turned around and laughed as I raised my D-Arc to the sky.

* * *

Chapter 35: Jeopardy!

Takato

**BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION_**

"Biomerge Activate!" "Guilmon Biomerge to..." "Gallantmon!"

We blasted off, just as Grani flew toward us. Then, we landed on it. That feeling never gets old. We turned to my family. "Don't worry!" I shouted to them, nodding. Then, we flew back towards Shinjuku.

* * *

Rika

Renamon and I kept flying towards Shinjuku. This whole experience was incredible, I didn't want it to end. "When we become Sakuyamon, everything seems possible. Do you know what I mean, Renamon?" I asked my partner. "Always, Rika," she answered. "Maybe we can use this to fight crime after this whole D-Reaper thing blows over. Yeah... I can see it now. By day, Rika Nonaka is your average schoolgirl. But when the sun goes down and evil's afoot, she and her best friend Renamon Biomerge to become Sakuyamon, Defender of the Night!" "Rika..." "What is it?" "You... do you really mean that? Have I become your... best friend?" "I couldn't use the term partner because people might take that the wrong way. But... yeah, you have, I guess." "Well, you have almost always been mine." I smiled at that.

* * *

Jeri

I finally snapped out of that funk I was in when I saw Calumon in trouble. He was wrapped up the same way I was. "Calumon! Don't give up!" I called as I reached out. It's easy to believe that all this came because I was so negative. I wish I could be more like Takato. He almost never lets anything get him down. I reached as far as I could, but it was no use. "He came here for me, now look at him," I thought out loud. As I leaned forward, my D-Arc fell out.

* * *

Greg

I decided that I might as well provide a little in-flight entertainment. So, Veemon and I sang a duet. "This is the song that never ends. It just goes on and on, my friends. Some people started singing it not knowing what it was, And they'll continue singing it forever just because..." "You might as well end it, because here we are," Anya said. "I bet you're relieved, aren't you Anya?" I snarked. "Yes," she responded. "I liked it... a little," Coronamon said. We passed by Gallantmon and Sakuyamon. "Now see, they don't need a ride because they can fly," I pointed out. "Lucky them," Ed mused. We roared to both of them. Sakuyamon waved and Gallantmon nodded his head.

* * *

Takato

"Okay here's the plan Guilmon, listen up! First we save Jeri, then we destroy that thing," I decided. I was really psyched up and in the mood to kick some Reaper! "That sounds like a good plan, Takato. But, um...how do we plan to do it?" Guilmon asked. Ah, there was always that. He just had to point that out. "Well, I'm...still workin' on that part," I said, my confidence slightly fading. On our way, we passed a flying Sakuyamon. "Boy are we glad to see you," I said in our fused voice. She gave us a short wave and then flew on into a giant bubble just above the pink blob that was the D-Reaper. We also passed Imperialdramon, who roared to us. I just nodded my head. Soon, the three of us were inside, where we found Henry and Terriermon waiting for us. We split up into our separate forms.

"Hey! Henry!" I shouted down to them. "Hey, hey!" Terriermon called back. "It's about time," Henry added. "We were waiting on you," Rika said. "Sorry, my Dad, you know." Terriermon landed on Guilmon's head just as he landed on the ground. Looks like he had just a bit too much soda before the battle. "Oh you missed it, I had to be quiet in a tickle," he said. "You had to be quiet?" Guilmon asked. The terrier-like Digimon jumped to Renamon. "Imagine that," she said. "Impossible!" Terriermon beamed.

* * *

Greg

When we got inside the bubble, the others were already there and split up. So, Veemon and I automatically split back into Digimon and Tamer. It didn't feel like I was falling, but I was gently gliding down to solid ground. "Hey guys!" "Hey yourself," Terriermon called back. "Ha ha, it's not a party without us," Veemon said. "If this is a party, where is the cake?" Anya asked. "Oh don't be silly, Anya. This is almost the biggest fight of our lives," Lalamon playfully chided. I'm pretty sure she was a quarter-serious though. We landed on the ground. "Well it was definitely worth the wait, Mr. Mizuno made this card for us," Henry said as he pulled out a red copy of the Blue Card. "Hmm, looks like the Blue Card is ready for_ Double Jeopardy_," I noted. "Uh, what are you talking about?" Rika asked. "Haven't you ever seen _Jeopardy_?" I asked. Takato and Rika shook their heads. "All right, it's where you answer in the form of a question. For example, 'It's the international group of programmers who were responsible for the creation of the original Digimon program.'" Henry raised his hand. "What are the Monster Makers?" "And that is why you're the smart one, Henry," I said, smiling. We bumped fists. "Now this card isn't just for looks. It'll let us fight inside the D-Reaper," the Chinese boy added. "So what do we do with it?" Rika asked. "Well Rika, I'm guessin' the usual," Takato said. "Like you had to ask," Ed added. We each got out our D-Arcs and held them up.

Just then, a draft came in. "You weren't planning to leave without us, were you?" a voice asked from behind us. We turned around to find Justimon, who quickly split up into Ryo and Cyberdramon. They landed on the ground, and Ryo gave a short wave. "Hi guys," Ryo said. "Hi yourself," Takato answered. "We didn't exactly forget about you," Rika noted through a smile. "Please, how could you?" Ryo joked. Just then, Ed came up with a crazy idea. "You know, this may be the last time we gather in one place. This is our last battle. How about some music to psych ourselves up?" he suggested. Henry grinned like a Cheshire cat. "I had a feeling you might suggest that," he said. He snapped his fingers, and a set of instruments appeared. It looked like a real band setup. "Wow! How'd you do that?" Coronamon asked in awe. "This is an Easter egg my dad saved for just an occasion." "And why not? It's nearly Easter," I reasoned. We each went to an instrument. Coronamon set up the drum programs and then took his spot at the drums. Veemon, Renamon, and I each took an electric guitar. Henry went for the bass guitar, while Guilmon took his spot at the keyboards with Takato. Anya and Cyberdramon each took a pair of bagpipes. Terriermon grabbed a tambourine with one of his long ears, while Rika and Ryo just stood in the front with mics. Lalamon floated in the back with Ed, who stood. Needless to say, none of us knew how to play. It wouldn't matter.

* * *

["You're the Voice"

Written by Andy Qunta, Chris Thompson, Keith Reid, and Maggie Ryder  
Performed by Tamers United Against Evil]

[If you've ever wondered what The Tamers would look like in concert, this is probably your only opportunity. There's probably not much to this mini-MB except footage of the band performing, maybe a few flashbacks. It's really up to your imagination.]

_Takato:_

_**We have the chance to turn the pages over  
We can write what we want to write  
We gotta make ends meet, before we get much older  
**_

_Rika:_

_**We're all someone's daughter  
We're all someone's son  
How long can we look at each other  
Down the barrel of a gun?  
**_

_Group:__**  
You're the voice, try and understand it  
Make a noise and make it clear  
Oh-o-o-o, whoa-o-o-o  
We're not gonna sit in silence  
We're not gonna live with fear  
Oh-o-o-o, whoa-o-o-o  
**_

_Greg:__**  
This time, we know we all can stand together  
With the power to be powerful  
Believing we can make it better  
**_

_Ryo:_

_**Ooooh, we're all someone's daughter  
We're all someone's son  
How long can we look at each other**_

_**Down the barrel of a gun?  
**_

_Group:__**  
You're the voice, try and understand it  
Make a noise and make it clear  
Oh-o-o-o, whoa-o-o-o  
We're not gonna sit in silence  
We're not gonna live with fear  
Oh-wo-wo-wo, whoa-o-o-o  
**_

_**[Bagpipe instrumental break]  
**_

_Rika:__**  
Ooooh We're all someone's daughter  
**_

_Ryo:_

_**We're all someone's son**_

_Takato:__**  
How long can we look at each other  
**_

_Takato/Rika/Ryo:_

_**Down the barrel of a gun?  
**_

_Group:__**  
You're the voice, try and understand it  
Make a noise and make it clear  
Oh-o-o-o, whoa-o-o-o  
We're not gonna sit in silence  
We're not gonna live with fear  
Oh-o-o-o, whoa-o-o-o  
**_

_(the group repeats the chorus three times in the BG)_

_Ryo:_

_**You're the voice, try and understand it**_

_**We're not gonna sit in silence  
We're not gonna live with fear**_

_(fade out)_

* * *

Greg

"All right, that was kind of fun," I said. "It should be, you were flat," Ed noted. "Don't worry guys, this program's got Auto-Tune," Henry said. He snapped his fingers again, and the band set up disappeared. We got in a circle. "Alright, Digivices out," he instructed. I unclipped my D-Arc and held it up. "Wait, aren't we going to just pass the card around and scan it individually?" Anya asked. "That wouldn't be any fun," Henry said. He spun the card around, then tossed it toward Takato, who rotated his D-Arc to the side. The card slashed right through the reader. Ryo and Ed got the idea as the card slashed through theirs. I stood at a side stance and shifted my D-Arc. Even had time to get my other arm out with fist clenched, just to look cool. As the card slid through, my D-Arc lit up and I felt the wind from the force. Then it went to Anya, Rika, and finally Henry. How he managed to do that is something I've yet to figure out to this day. "DIGI-MODIFY! Red Card Activate!" After he held the card up for a second or two, he switched hands, holding up his D-Arc instead. "For Jeri!" Takato shouted. "And our world!" Ed added. For the last time, it was time. Everyone got in position. I counted down. "In 3... 2... 1..." "BIOMERGE ACTIVATE!"

We charged into battle. "We're comin' for ya! Full speed ahead!" Henry shouted. "I promise, this'll be our last battle, Renamon," Rika assured her friend as they flew down. "It's now or never time," Ryo added as he made his descent riding on Grani. Rosemon and Apollomon rode in our pouch. "Time to rock and roll!" I called. "Screw your courage to the sticking-place, and we'll not fail!*" Anya cheered. "Take it, to the limit, one more time!*" Ed shouted. Takato decided to go for the primal yell. "Aahhh!"

* * *

Yamaki

7:05 PM. Seven Digimon had entered the quantum bubble. Red, blue, green, platinum, pink, burgundy, and white light beams poured from the protective sanctuary we had created. We stared into the screen. "I'm prepared no matter what happens, I just wish there were another way," Janyu said. "So do I Janyu, believe me. Unfortunately there isn't, we just have to trust the children." Janyu nodded "And we will. Alright everyone, it's time. Begin the final preparations for Operation: Doodlebug." We went our separate ways in the base, preparing for what could be the worst.

* * *

Greg

Inside the D-Reaper was nothing but red. It looked like a copy of the Grand Canyon made out of blood vessels. "Okay so now what? It all looks the same to me," Terriermon said. "Well, he does have a point," Rika agreed. "Jeri's in here somewhere I know it!" Takato came in. Henry spotted something. "Look, over there!" It was a tall tower that was much pinker than its surroundings. Gallantmon clenched his fist and converted it into his lance. Just then, a swarm of bubble-blowing monsters came in. "Looks like we have company," Sakuyamon announced. "Not for long!" I countered. Justimon jumped over Gallantmon and stood on the front of Grani. I checked Ryo's data-sphere just as he was preparing to attack. "Equip Blitz Arm! Justice Burst!" he cried as he fired blue energy bursts from his right arm that blew up Bubbles left and right. Apollomon crawled out of our pouch and stood on our back. "Solblaster!" He fired a scorching solar orb generated from the sphere of flames on his back. That took out a whole group of them. "Not bad, but do you want to see something really cool?" I asked in our fused voice. "Oh, I think I know what it is," Apollomon answered. He got out of the way as I cupped my hands in position. "Positron Laser!" That blast took out the remaining freaks. "Those are things that make you go BOOM!" I cheered. Unfortunately, something else came up. "Oh great..." MegaGargomon started flying on his back and firing at it. "Here ya go, you flying freak," Terriermon taunted. The blasts did nothing. Meanwhile, I was dealing with my own problems. We got hit by the same thing Henry was attacking. "Rrrrrrgh... what is that thing?" I asked. "It's called an Optimizer," Henry answered. I checked our vitals. We were up to 17% damage.

"Ride 'em cowboy! Sweet flyin', Grani," Ryo said. Just then, one of those monsters with creepy hands popped up and knocked Gallantmon and Justimon off Grani, sending Takato's ride flying. "Ah!" "No! Renamon! They've been hit!"

* * *

Yamaki

7:13 PM. "But they're just children, can they possibly win?" Tally asked, worried. "They have to and they know it," Riley answered. We were making progress on Operation: Doodlebug. The sections were integrating, but there was still one problem. "Are you ready with the Higgsfield calculations, Shibumi?" Dolphin asked. "It's a nasty little problem, Dolphin. Believe me Einstein had it easy," Mizuno remarked.

* * *

Greg

"Amethyst Wind!" Sakuyamon shouted as she unleashed a storm of light and purifying cherry blossoms. It engulfed the Optimizer and caused it to blow up. We went to work with Apollomon on Creepy Hands. "Imperialdramon, I have an idea. We should double charge him with a fire attack," Apollomon suggested. "Sounds like a plan," I said in our fused voice. The fiery Digimon jumped up, and I brought my arms up and clenched my fists inside my data-sphere. What I wanted to do now was release a whirlwind of fire. So I yelled at the top of my lungs while bringing my arms down and unclenching my fists. "ETERNAL ZEAL!" "Arrow of Apollo!" Those arrows combined with our firestorm to bring Creepy Hands to his destruction.

* * *

Jeri

I felt myself drop. "Uh!" That didn't matter. All that did at that point was Calumon's safety. "Calumon, wake up. Are you okay?" I asked. I picked him up. "Calumon, please speak to me," I begged. All I could make out from him was "Can't..." "Please be okay, you have to be." I dropped to my knees. Takato and the others were coming for me. "Uh, Calumon! I can't...I can't stand this anymore. I can't stand for you to suffer because of me. Oh Calumon. Huh?" I picked up my dead D-Arc. "Could this be our destiny?" I questioned. I held onto both it and Calumon, fighting to hold onto whatever hope was left.

* * *

Takato

We were OK, but Grani wasn't. "Do you think maybe she's inside that thing? How are we ever gonna get in there? Never mind, it doesn't matter. We just will!" I decided. Soon, Apollomon and Rosemon joined us. Sakuyamon, Imperialdramon, and MegaGargomon kept flying towards that giant pink tower. "Maybe the rest of us can make some kind of distraction," Henry guessed. "Or I could just blow the whole thing up," Greg suggested. "No! We can't take any chances! Jeri might get hurt," I argued. "True... maybe we could blow up its little green hat," Veemon suggested. "You two are the most trigger-happy people I've ever met in my life," Anya said with disgust. "Veemon's not a person. He's a Digimon," Terriermon corrected her. "Reminds me of someone I used to know," Henry mused.

* * *

Kazu

Just because we couldn't Biomerge like the rest of the guys didn't mean we weren't important. As far as Kenta and I were concerned, we were the first line of defense. There were crazy monsters out there, and we had to zap 'em. A police chaser got attacked by that one monster with a lot of mouths, but Guardromon's missiles blew it up good. "Wow you did it!" Kenta cheered. Guardromon and I turned to him. "Of course I did," we said at the exact same time. "Huh?" Then we turned to each other. Somebody had to get this straight. "It was my idea!" "Well I did all the work," Guardromon argued. "Those two, silly," MarineAngemon laughed. "Right, this really isn't the time. Come on you can always argue later," Kenta said. "How did you get that out of what he said? I don't get it, he says three words and you ramble for hours," I thought out loud. He had to think about it. "Hm...he's a Digimon of few words, but we understand each other," he explained, smiling. I clenched my fist and pumped it. "Well whatever, he's right about one thing, it's time for us to stop yappin' and start zappin'," I decided. "Yeah!" "What he said!" Just then, we all saw a white light and looked up. There was a police chopper! "Stay where you are, put your hands in the air. You are under arrest," the cop shouted with his megaphone. "Awww nuts, we got busted!" I groaned. We all put our hands up.

* * *

Greg

We kept running and flying. Our destination was still quite a ways off, so I turned on everyone's data-spheres. "This is the craziest place I've ever seen, even the Digital World made more sense than this. But I guess if Mr. Mizuno can get us in here my Dad can get us out. Hopefully with all the pieces in the right places," Henry said. "It's hard to believe that this is all real, that we're actually going into battle," Rika added. "A little more than a card game, did you ever imagine when all this started, that we'd have to save the world?" Henry asked. "I couldn't. I mean, these past few months have gone by like a blur. One moment I'm a Boy Scout waiting to go home and the next, I've met a new friend and become Imperialdramon. It's incredible," I concluded. "I was too busy calling myself the Digimon Queen," Rika said. "You believed it, of course," Renamon added. "How do I not? You are the Queen, second only to the Digimon King," Ryo cut in. "Give me a break." Takato giggled. "You guys haven't changed a bit," he said. "Are you kidding me?" "Think about it, I mean here we all are trying to save Jeri. In some ways we've changed a lot, in other ways we haven't changed at all. Look at Rika, she used to just wanna fight with us, now she's tired of fighting but she still likes to argue." Ed joined in. "I'd say resisting change wasn't an option. Becoming a Tamer really changes your perspective on life. Heck, take me. If I had stayed jealous and closed-minded toward you, Ryo, I would've never been able to move further. Coronamon and I might not have made it to Apollomon."

Anya had something to contribute. "I find it quite interesting that we have evolved with our Digimon. Not just together in a Biomerge, but together as human and Digimon. We have forced ourselves to change in order to allow our Digimon to change and progress. We have discovered traits that we did not know we had. Take for example, Takato. He has discovered courage. Ed has also developed the trait of friendship. Rika has love, I have sincerity, Henry has knowledge, and Greg has hope." Rika looked taken aback at the thought she might have the Crest of Love. "Are you kidding me? Love? Me?" "Hey, you do have a full heart on your shirt," Ed said. "That leaves reliability, light, and kindness," I thought out loud. Takato had a theory. "Kazu's shirt has the Crest of Reliability on it, and Kenta's a pretty nice guy." "OK, then that leaves light... maybe _Jeri_ has it," I teased. Henry tried to figure it out. "If that were true, then Takato would have to have the Crest of Hope, because hope and light attract each other. And if that was the case..." He grinned. My face grew redder than a stop sign. "No no... no no no no no. Don't try pinning this on me, Henry Wong. She's not my type. I only upgraded to Fighter Mode because I wanted to protect Anya," I confessed. "Besides, who's to say that everyone should be confined to one crest? We must have all those traits at one point in order to be effective Tamers," Anya added. "I guess wherever you go, there you are," Rika concluded. "This is very interesting Takato, but we're almost there," Guilmon said.

* * *

Impmon

We were on a bus back to Ai and Mako's. I was in no condition to fight, I tell ya. "Humans, you gotta love 'em. Takin' care of a worthless punk like me," I weakly told myself. "Worthless? What are you talkin' about? You're just the greatest, Impmon," Mako tried to reason. "You're just tryin' to make me feel better, I was totally useless out there," I argued. They just shook their heads. Suddenly, a white light shone above them. It was a purple D-Arc! They both reached for it, but Ai got it first. That meant I truly had a Tamer after all.

* * *

Jeri

"Calumon, I think it's time we got ourselves out of here, don't you? We can laugh together and be friends again and eat cream puffs," I gently offered. Enough was enough. I decided I had enough of feeling sorry for myself, so I let whatever I had created have it. "You can hear me can't you? I know you can! I've had it with you! You stole my voice and upset my dad and my friends, you even snooped around in my head and messed with my memories! Losing Leomon broke my heart, but I never should've let you take the beautiful memory of my friend and turn it into something ugly! It was wrong of me to believe that feeling nothing was better than feeling sad, the sadness was real, it was human! I misunderstood Leomon, he never meant for me to think my life had no meaning. He said we all have our own destiny and that's not the same thing. Everyone of us has a destiny that's different and that's special." I looked down to the D-Arc in my hand. "Isn't that right?"

Just then, a holographic picture of Leomon appeared, nodded and disappeared just as quickly as it came. "Thank you, Leomon. You can't delete even one of us without deleting something that the whole world needs! Every one of us has something important to do!" I continued. Then, I felt something grab me. It was those cords. The D-Reaper decided to fight back. "Huh?" That copy of me spoke again, spreading more of its misunderstandings and lies. "Human beings are insignificant, there is no importance to their lives, no useful purpose. You showed the D-Reaper the truth, subject Katou, Jeri. Human beings desire destruction, human beings desire annihilation." "You're wrong! You don't understand!" I screamed at it. "Human beings cause pain and fear to other human beings, human beings wage war and destroy other human beings." "No!"

* * *

Greg

"Yes, Jeri Katou, human beings created Digimon to fight battles and load data so they would grow in strength and building. Digimon have one purpose, to satisfy the human need for destruction." The giant tower spoke, spreading lies. "But that is not true of us anymore!" Renamon shouted. "Yeah! We're not fighting anyone but you!" Terriermon added. "You've got it all wrong, D-Reaper. You've never felt the strength and happiness of Biomerging. We're good for each other! Humans and Digimon, we make each other better! And we're not gonna let you stop us!" Guilmon added in complete confidence. "You know absolutely nothin' about humans, you big ugly wad of cords!" Veemon called. As we arrived, Gallantmon and Sakuyamon jumped up. "Hang on Jeri!" Takato shouted. "Jeri!" Rika yelled. That mask glowed brightly and far away, a hole appeared in the D-Reaper. "Oh no, tell me this isn't happening!" Henry moaned.

* * *

Author Notes:

Anya's battle cheer came from Act 1, Scene 7 of _Macbeth_ by William Shakespeare.

Ed's statement came from "Take it to the Limit" by The Eagles.

I'd like to ask this of all my readers. As you've been reading this, and perhaps watching _Digimon Tamers_ again, do you think that Anya's (and my) analyses concerning the crests are correct? If you were passing out crests to our Tamers, which one do you think each Tamer would get? I'm curious about your answers and would love to read them.

Speaking of answers, I really do take your feedback seriously. So please, please, _please _don't hesitate to say anything. How can I improve? What do you like? What do you dislike?


	47. Chapter 36: Double Jeopardy!

_Digimon Tamers International_

_Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02_, etc. ©1999-2013 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, Saban Brands, BVS Entertainment, etc.

All Rights Reserved

* * *

Chapter 36: Double Jeopardy!

Yamaki

7:30 PM. Riley had stumbled onto something. "Uh! Yamaki! Something's happening! What is going on out there?!" she gasped. I checked the screen. It definitely looked like a vortex. "Excellent, it's finally connected," I said. "This is exactly what we've been waiting for, the D-Reaper in the Digital World has to make a material connection with the D-Reaper here for its final attack. This is when it's most vulnerable," Janyu explained. "But it doesn't know that and we have a little surprise in store for it. I'm sure it'll go out with a bang, a great big bang," Babel added. "Then let's do it, Operation Doodlebug is good to go," Dolphin decreed. The operation main menu pulled up and I examined it. This was time for action. "Riley, prepare to engage the Juggernaut on my signal," I instructed. "Are you crazy?" she asked in astonishment. "Not this time, Juggernaut has become our trump card against the chaos," I explained. She loaded the program. "Juggernaut is online, ready on your command. But, where's the power coming from?" she asked. Janyu got up from his computer and walked to the screen, examining it. He closed his eyes. "I won't be able to face him even to ask for forgiveness. This is unforgivable," he said. "Won't be able to face who?" I inquired. "My son," he replied in anguish. "Janyu, I'd like to quote a wise poet and songwriter by the name of Eric Woolfson. 'If we call for the proof and we question the answers, only the doubt will grow.' We can't afford any doubt." "This is horrible! Something is rising out of the vortex at the center of the quantum bubble!" Tally shouted. We checked, and something did rise out of it. I quickly dubbed it "The Reaper" because of its many scythes.

* * *

Greg

"What is it? What are you guys waiting for?" Takato asked. "Um, T-t-takato... you might ww-w-want to look at this," I stammered. It was a giant mass made out of cords. It roared loudly. "Well I'm speechless," MegaGargomon said. I stared at the horror of it all. My eyes nearly dropped out of my skull and I began to question the integrity of my bladder. I checked Rika's data-sphere. Her eyes were just as wide as mine. "I am...not scared. I am...scared witless," she breathed. It got to a point that she closed her eyes and covered her ears, trying to convince herself of something. "I am... not scared!" "I mustn't run away, I mustn't run away, I mustn't run away..." Ed kept repeating to himself. "Neither am I! Well maybe a little," Terriermon admitted. "Yeah it's big and scary, so what? I don't care," Guilmon said bravely. "Me neither, let's go Guilmon!" Takato called. Gallantmon charged into battle. "Gallantmon, what are you thinking!?" I yelled. "Shield of the Just!" The beam from the shield hit inside its open mouth, but it didn't do a thing. I had to give Takato credit for trying. I'd also have to hand him the Crest of Courage. "Aw nuts!"

From the center of the cables one cable came out with a curved sickle and he went for Gallantmon with it. "No! Gallantmon!" Sakuyamon shouted. "Ahhhh!" Red substance went flying everywhere. That was it. "That's all I can stand, and I can't stand any more. Veemon! Let's do this!" I gathered my courage and crossed my arms, bringing them back down. "MODE CHANGE ACTIVATE!"

**MODE CHANGE_**

"Imperialdramon, Mode Change! Fighter Mode!"

"RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as we went slashing away. Of course, that didn't help either as we had to dodge sickles. Justimon went in to help as well. "Equip Accel Arm!" Ryo called as he held out his arm. It became a metal arm that blocked two sickles. "It's too strong!" he groaned. "I think that's our cue, Henry! Ya ready?" Terriermon asked. "Yeah!" "Well then let's go!" MegaGargomon flew up and opened himself up. "Mega Barrage!" All those missiles fired toward one place. "Ivy Hug!" Rosemon called as she entangled the opponent in vines. "Spirit Strike!" Sakuyamon attacked with the pipes on her waist. A big hole appears above the monster and it turned him blue.

* * *

Jeri

Suddenly, these blue flames came in and started getting closer and closer to me. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" I screamed.

* * *

Greg

"Takato we can handle this, you just focus on finding Jeri," Ryo said. That was just what I needed, one less thing to worry about. "Thanks Ryo," Takato said as Gallantmon started running toward the sound of the screaming. We kept up the good fight, but our attacks didn't seem to do much. MegaGargomon fired some more Gargo Missiles, but that didn't work. Despite being loaded with strength from Veemon, I was starting to get tired. So, I started watching the battle feed to distract myself from the weariness of it all. There was Gallantmon, valiantly running up the tower. "I've got to hand it to him, Veemon. Takato would make one heck of a knight," I said. Just then, a giant Jeri head appeared. It turned downward and blew at Gallantmon turning him black and causing him to fall down.

"Aaaaahhhhhh!" "This can't be happening! Guilmon!" Takato shouted. "I'm sorry Takato." All Guilmon could do was apologize, so all Takato could do was scream. "No!" Then, something strange happened. "Do you want to fly, Gallantmon?" a voice asked. "Wh-who are you?" "Do you want to fly? I will give you my wings," the voice offered. I quickly checked another feed. There was Grani, flying towards them, then disappearing. I gasped. "I can no longer move on my own, but I can give you the strength that remains in me. You can have my wings, Gallantmon," Grani said. "Grani, are- are you sure?" Guilmon asked. "I'm very sure, you are my friends, you talked to me. This is my gift to you," Grani answered. The knight Digimon continued to fall. "A part of you will always be with us, Grani!" Gallantmon shouted. The two touched, triggering a Mode Change. Now I'm not as good friends with Takato as I am with Henry. However, if there was anyone who deserved a Mode Change at that point, it was Takato.

**MODE CHANGE_**

He gained new and more powerful red armor and white wings, becoming Gallantmon Crimson Mode. "We are one, Grani and us," Takato chanted. GCM held out his hand and a new double bladed sword appeared in it. "Final Justice!" He pointed the sword at the Jeri head, completely blowing it up. Then, he started flying to the top. I checked everyone else's data-spheres. Their faces were filled with astonishment. "Can that really be Gallantmon?" Sakuyamon asked in awe. "He truly is a knight," Anya remarked. "Yep, off to avenge his damsel in distress," Ed added. They kept flying up towards the kernel. "Thanks to Grani we'll get there in no time, hold on Jeri we're coming," Takato said.

* * *

Jeri

"Calumon, come over here. Quick!" I called. Calumon jumped up on my shoulder. "Oh, you don't have to tell me twice," he said. Blue fire was all over the kernal. I clenched my D-Arc and gathered up my courage. "I'm through sitting around. It's time, time I did something more than just cry."

* * *

Greg

"Hey! Yeah I'm talkin' to you! Down here! Got something for ya!" The monster looked down. "MEGA BARRAGE!" MegaGargomon fired another star-spangled array of missiles. Again, no good. Inside the green data-sphere, something else was about to go down. "Terriermon, what's happening?" Henry nervously inquired. "We're outta ammo. Not that it matters, our last attack did as much damage as a water balloon," Terriermon reported. "He didn't even make a dent," Sakuyamon added. Ryo had an idea. "Equip Critical Arm!" he called. He held out his metal arm and from the elbow down it turned into a box with a little red blade on the end. "Sakuyamon, listen to me. I want you to send all your power to my blade." "What? You can't be serious," Sakuyamon gasped. "Has the fighting gone to your head or something? The force of it could kill the both of you," Rika added. "And on top of all that, it would leave Rika defenseless and vulnerable," I cut in. Ryo turned to me. "Stay out of this Greg!" he ordered. He then turned to Rika. "It's a chance I'm willing to take, Rika. We've tried everything else and we haven't even landed a scratch. But the combined forces of your strength and our blade we could give the D-Reaper something to really howl about. " Rika looked really concerned about the whole thing. "Or you could die, did you ever think about that, hotshot?" she demanded to know. "Well then they'll be just one less person to poke fun at you, right pumpkin?" Ryo shot back. Her eyes softened. It was then that I knew I had no prayer with Rika Nonaka. "Hm, hm. You big twerp, you're just doing this to impress me, aren't you?" "So is it working or not?" Ryo asked. I rolled my eyes at the whole thing. "Guys, we don't have time to play _Sleepless in Shinjuku_. You two can get a room later!" "Shut up, Greg!" Ryo barked. "Ryo may be out of his pompous mind but he's also right. It's the only chance we have of destroying that thing," Rika concluded. I facepalmed inside my sphere, and that translated to Imperialdramon facepalming as well. "I can't believe she's actually going through this," I groaned to Veemon. Sakuyamon lit up and slashed at the air creating a pink petal shield around her. "Ah! All the power of my body, my soul, my mind I now send to you. All the strength within my heart, my spirit to you I now freely give," Sakuyamon chanted. As she spoke, all her armor, her staff, and her hair ties disappeared and turned into petals that surrounded her, leaving her in her black leotard. She had essentially become Michelle Pfeiffer in _Batman Returns_, without any claws. The petals turned into big circles that crossed and floated over to Justimon. They turned into the shield that sent the power to the blade but hurt Ryo. "What is he doing?" Henry asked. "He's doing everything he can! He knows we can't play it safe anymore!" GCM answered. Then he went gung ho on a number of monsters on his never ending climb toward Jeri.

* * *

Jeri

I held my D-Arc close to my face, closed my eyes, and began offering a prayer. "Leomon, if you can hear me I finally understand. What you said about destiny. The power to change our lives lies in ourselves."

* * *

Greg

Ryo was still having his own troubles gathering all that energy. "Got to...control...energy," Justimon grunted. The shield disappeared and the blade expanded from the shaft. "Something good may come of this," Anya hoped. "Good night, everybody!" I said. Justimon truly looked proud of himself. "See it worked, I told you it'd be a piece of cake, didn't I?" Ryo asked. "Well if anyone could do it, it's you, Ryo. Good luck!" Rika cheered. As Justimon went up, Sakuyamon collapsed in the air. "Rika, are you alright?" Renamon asked in concern. "I guess...that took more out of us than I thought," Rika answered. I turned to Anya's data-sphere. "Anya, I would never _ever _ask you to make that kind of sacrifice for me," I said. "How fortunate, because I would never make that sacrifice even if you asked me," she replied, smiling. "Oh, so the rose blossoms even in cold weather," Veemon quipped. I saw something in the battle feed. The kernel had been split! "Hey guys, the kernel's been split!" I called. The monster sent 3 sickles in toward the now defenseless Sakuyamon, but MegaGargomon kicked and destroyed the blades. Just in time, too. Justimon started his downward cut. "Alright! Timber!" MegaGargomon cheered. The monster was split in two!

* * *

Jeri

It worked! Leomon had saved us, even when he wasn't there. The only problem was all the ooze rising up from the floor. "It's...getting higher. I...don't know how much time we have. Oh Takato, where are you?" I asked in horror.

* * *

Takato

"I'm coming Jeri! Huh?" "Negative, subject Gallantmon," I heard a voice say. Suddenly, from the tower, the Jeri Clone came out. She looked like she'd evolved. She blew dark air at us, but we blocked it with our sword. The sword disappeared, though. "What is that?" we asked. The Jeri Clone put her hand under our neck and then her other on our head, then put pressure on it while continuing to spread lies. "Humans and Digimon exist only to destroy or be destroyed," she began. I looked, and that monster that Ryo had supposedly split up pulled itself together again. "An exercise of futility! Humans desire total annihilation, therefore their existence is pointless." "No! You don't get to decide that! My life isn't pointless! And neither is Guilmon's or my friends' or anyone else's! We have a right to live and protect the people we care about! Something a warped freak like you could never understand!" I shouted. We took her hand off our head.

* * *

Greg

That monster just pulled itself back together. I knew I had to do something. "Guys, I think I may just do it. The Giga Crusher," I announced. "Great. Go for it," Ed encouraged. I motioned for everyone to clear back, and then placed the Positron Laser in the dragon-face on our chest. Then, I brought my hands above my head like I was charging a Mega Crusher. "Veemon, I've got a feeling I can only get one or two shots out of this before we're completely spent. So, let's make this count," I said. "I hope you know what you're doing," Anya warned me. "For everyone's sake, I hope so too," I agreed. It was just about ready, so I poured everything into it. All the power that we had, together, went into this attack. I even yelled a bit to psych myself up. "Giga... CRUSHER!" I brought my hands forward and fired the attack. It went like a giant wave. Then I realized something. In horror, I pulled up Takato's data-sphere. "Takato! GET OUT OF THE WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY YYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

* * *

Author's Notes:

Yamaki's quote came from "Ammonia Avenue" by The Alan Parsons Project.

As I'm wrapping up this story (or series as it were), I'm thinking about how I've stayed true to the main series. Writing this, I have not only heavily consulted the transcripts on Patamon's World, but I've been watching the episodes as well. For the most part, I have stayed true to the actual episodes. Now if you've seen episode 51, you know that the Digimon Sovereign drag the Reaper (referred to here as "that tall creep" or "monster") down so that Operation: Doodlebug can be executed. However, as you've just seen, Imperialdramon Fighter Mode has just put in a last-ditch bid to destroy it using Giga Crusher. What do you think? Should it be allowed to succeed, or should it fail? There really is no right or wrong answer. Either way, it's acceptable. Personally, I'm torn between the two. I just want to know what you think would make this story more interesting. So would you please share it in a review? (By the way, Takato's not going to get destroyed by the attack. I wouldn't kill off Takato, honest I wouldn't.)

Also, I have another question. After this, I'm planning on taking Greg, Anya, and their Digimon 7 years into the future where they join the Data Squad/DATS. I was also considering adapting the Tamers CD Drama _Message in the Packet _as well as _Runaway Locomon. _Would you like to see either one of those, or should I just skip ahead to Digimon Savers International? Please let me know.

Before I forget, I just want to say thank you for reading this fanfic. If you've read it all the way through, I appreciate it, and I hope you have enjoyed it. If this is the first chapter you're reading, then thank you. I'd suggest you go to the beginning to get an idea.


	48. Chapter 37: Final Jeopardy!

_Digimon Tamers International_

_Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02_, etc. ©1999-2013 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, Saban Brands, BVS Entertainment, etc.

All Rights Reserved

* * *

Chapter 37: Final Jeopardy!

Greg

Seconds later, after the attack had cleared, I saw Gallantmon Crimson Mode and another Jeri Clone. I let out a sigh of relief as I struggled to stay on my feet. The tall freak had been cut into little pieces large enough for the Digimon Sovereign to carry away. My eyes glazed over in disbelief. "We did it. We actually did it!" I breathed. I checked the other data-spheres. The others were speechless and in complete shock. "I know just how you feel," I said. The experience was like bowling a perfect 300 game, or throwing the winning pass in the Super Bowl. I pumped my fist in victory. "YEAH! We did it!" "That was great. I never felt so much energy as I did in that attack. You know, through all these battles, I've seen a different side to you. One that's willing to lay it all on the line for his friends. Never once did I hear you quit or give up hope. We kept fighting to the bitter end, and look at where we are now. Nobody can take that away from you, and don't you let them either. I'm proud to call you my Tamer, Greg." "Right back at ya, buddy," I answered. "Wow... I'm impressed. Way to go, Imperialdramon," MegaGargomon finally complimented me. I felt myself going to the floor of my data-sphere. "Thank you. I think I better quit while I'm ahead," I sincerely answered in our fused voice. "But what gets me is how the Digimon Sovereign managed to get here. Boy, when they come through they really come through," Terriermon thought out loud.

* * *

Yamaki

7:45 PM. The all clear symbol finally appeared on Tally's screen. Operation: Doodlebug was set to go off. "Sir, I'm detecting a massive wormhole in the heart of the D-Reaper bubble," Tally reported. "Alright, engage Operation Doodlebug," I ordered. Everyone got the final touches set. "Doodlebug launch in T minus ten seconds. Booting systems now!" Riley called. "Tao, are you sure that this is safe?" Daisy asked Janyu, who promptly shut his eyes. "How should I know?!" Janyu asked in frustration. "I guess we're as ready as we'll ever be," Mizuno remarked. He pressed a button and the room turned red. A 3D picture of the vortex appeared in the middle of the room as we stood up to observe it. "What if, what if it doesn't work?" Daisy asked, doubt creeping in her voice. "It'll work Daisy, it has to," I said.

* * *

Greg

Since we ran out of energy, all I could do was watch the fight that was breaking out between Gallantmon Crimson Mode and that Jeri clone. "You are persistent, but you're only delaying the inevitable," the clone taunted. "Now this is a fight, Veemon. The constant variety of sport... the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat... the human drama of athletic competition..." I could hear the Charles Fox composition come to its climax in my head. "What are you talking about, Greg?" Anya asked. "Look, if I had a bento box, I'd be happy to watch this fight, but we don't have time for that," Henry tried to convince us. "Oh yeah, I'd kill for a hot dog myself," I agreed. This led to a round of "Take Me Out to the Battle". Henry sighed.

* * *

Jeri

The pink sludge was up to my stomach and nearly up to my shoulders. "We've been in tighter spots, right Calumon? We'll escape or someone will rescue us. Any...second now, I hope," I told Calumon, halfway trying to convince myself.

* * *

Henry

This was exciting and frightening at the exact same time. I didn't know what was happening next, when suddenly I heard a very familiar voice. "Henry! Terriermon! Come in, can you hear me?" "Is that you Dad?" I asked. His face came in on the screen. "Henry listen to me, I've loaded a program inside of Terriermon," he said. "Wha? Hmmm... so that's what it was." "Hold everything! What's inside me!?" Terriermon interrupted. "I'm sorry, I should've told you. Henry, it's the Juggernaut program," Dad said. "Juggernaut? Huh! Why did you put it inside of Terriermon?" Then Yamaki's face came in. "Juggernaut was designed to work like a small scale big bang, the program creates an intense energy vortex that sucks in all digital life forms and nothing can escape it," he explained. This was truly a shocker. "Why would you activate it now?" I asked. This time, Dolphin appeared. "Henry, look below you, it's a wormhole connecting the Real World to the Digital Dimension." I looked down, and there it was. "It transfers D-Reaper's data faster than the speed of light, that's how it evolves and grows so rapidly. By using Juggernaut we can reverse the process by sending D-Reaper back where it came from and evolving it into a harmless program," Dolphin explained. This was the best news I'd heard in a long time! "That's just what we've been looking for, you guys are amazing! " "We've made the necessary modifications to Juggernaut so it won't harm you or any of your friends," Yamaki explained. "Whew, that's a relief. You just tell me what to do," I said, eager and ready to go. "All right, but listen carefully!" Dad instructed. I listened hard and well. There was just something in his face that I didn't like.

* * *

Yamaki

7:47 PM. MegaGargomon flew into the middle of the vortex, brought his arms up flat at the level of his shoulders, and started spinning the opposite way the D-Reaper was growing, thus creating a transphotic eddy. I did my best to keep everyone's morale up, especially Janyu's. "Don't worry Janyu, everything will be fine," I reassured him. "I wish I could believe that." "The reversal's begun. There's no turning back now," Dolphin said, grimacing. Mizuno looked at his computer. "So far everything's going as planned, but something's bugging me, what is it?" he asked himself. Soon, electricity from MegaGargomon formed from him to the D-Reaper wall. "It's working! The D-Reaper's activity is beginning to drop!" Daisy reported in glee. "Come on MegaGargomon, you can do it!" Curly cheered. Mizuno got up, worried. "Something's wrong, I know I've forgotten something."

* * *

Takato

That Jeri clone pushed me into the tower. "You do not deserve to exist!" it shouted. We were floating in it. "_Takato_...it's not true, is it?..." Guilmon asked. "No it is not! And it's about time... we proved it!" I shouted. We stopped, glowed, and came out with a vengeance. As we punched the Jeri clone in the stomach, I wanted to make one thing clear to it. "We do deserve to exist! YOU DON'T!" She quickly disappeared. I checked the other data-spheres. For some odd reason, Henry was spinning around really quickly.

* * *

Greg

"_DOWN GOES CLONE! DOWN GOES CLONE! DOWN GOES CLONE!_" I shouted in my head. If this was a football game, Takato and I would surely be the Most Valuable Players. I checked everyone's data-spheres. Anya was speechless, but smiling. Ed looked delighted, and Henry... well, he was spinning around. "Hey Henry! Henry? Yo, Hank!" "Not... now... Greg..." "Gallantmon just crushed the Jeri clone!" "I'm gonna be sick!" Terriermon hollered. I checked the feed. It looked like MegaGargomon was spinning around and around, creating a warphole... and draining the D-Reaper down the tubes. I checked the other feed. Calumon had put itself and Jeri in a barrier and was levitating out of whatever kernel was there. "It worked, it actually worked! The D-Reaper's gone!" Justimon gasped. "YEEEEEEEEEEE-HAWWWWWWWWWW!" I yelled, being a true Southerner. "Oh, it seems I've heard that before. Is that what they call the Rebel Yell?" Anya asked. "Yes, ma'am," I answered. "That sounds quite appropriate. I think I'll do it too. YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAWWWWWWWWWWW!" "What are you yelling about?" Ed asked, annoyed. "The war's over, and we won!" Veemon cheered.

* * *

Yamaki

7:51 PM. The entire office was in jubilation. The war was over and we had won. Of course, we kept it down for various reasons. I quickly ran to my office and picked up a bottle of champagne and some glasses. Upon my return, I uncorked the bottle and started pouring. Mr. Mizuno, however, did not look happy. "I remember! My calculations for the Red Card algorithm were off!" "Off? What do you mean off? They worked perfectly," Dolphin said. "You don't understand. To give the Digimon the ability to move freely inside of the D-Reaper, I created that red card to change their wavelengths, their very digital makeup." "What's the problem? We saw the results ourselves. The children and the Digimon were unaffected," Curly reasoned. "No, the problem is...I didn't take into account... the Human-Digimon hybrid." Janyu dropped his glass. Luckily, it was plastic. He rushed over to Mizuno. "What are you saying, Shibumi?" he demanded to know. "It's happening sooner than I expected, the Digimon won't be able to hold their Mega forms." "What about the children?!" he asked further. "I... don't know," Mizuno meekly answered as he looked away. It seemed Janyu understood Spencer Logan's position as he desperately picked up Mizuno and used him to demonstrate how Tai Chi was truly performed. Thankfully, it was non-fatal. No bones were broken, and no blood was shed. Mizuno ended up on the floor, and Janyu gently picked him up and helped him back to his seat. Then, he promptly apologized. I went to both of them. "Gorou Mizuno, alias Shibumi... did you do this intentionally?" I asked. "I... I didn't, honest." I looked right into his eyes. He spoke the truth. "That's all I needed to know," I said. Then, I walked away.

* * *

Greg

All of a sudden, the data-sphere started fading to black. Static began coming in. "Uh Veemon... w-what's going on?" I asked. "I don't know. Something's wrong... but I can't figure it out." Everything went black, and then suddenly, I saw maroon. I felt myself floating in space aimlessly. It reminded me of the bubble room scene in _Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, _except I couldn't burp to go down and I wasn't heading towards a fan. I checked my face to make sure my glasses were there. They were, thankfully. "Heh heh... looks like our Biomerge just, deactivated," I said weakly. "Yeah," Veemon slightly echoed. I knew I was going to feel something. It was the same everywhere I looked. Renamon and Cyberdramon had their Tamers in their arms. "We have to get Rika and Ryo out of here," Renamon urged. "I know, but what about them?" Cyberdramon asked, pointing to MegaGargomon. I looked down. Henry was floating in space, looking like he just walked out of a fight. "Terriermon...Terriermon!" he groaned. Renamon "swam down" with Rika to rescue him. I just laid there in space.

I didn't want to move, honest. Without Veemon's strength and protection, I felt much more of the impact. I don't think any of us expected to come out of it looking squeaky clean. It felt like I had just run a marathon and then volunteered to go 5 rounds in a professional wrestling match. Veemon was only slightly better. I snagged a ride on Cyberdramon's back as we caught up with Takato. There he stood, carrying Jeri in his arms just like a prince saving his damsel from a burning building. "We have to get out and soon," Renamon urged. "I know but how? It's not just like we can just call a cab," Takato said. Just then, a big purple-pink bubble surrounded all of us. Another floated down with Kazu, Kenta, Guardromon, MarineAngemon, and Lopmon in it. "Try a bubble! No cup holders, but it's a smooth ride," Kazu called. "It's Kazu and Kenta," Takato said with a smile. "Crazy nut bags," Rika laughed. The bubbles came closer. "What say we split this dump?" Kazu asked. Henry certainly wouldn't have had it. "No, we can't! Not without Terriermon! He's still down there, MarineAngemon can you get him?" he asked. So, MarineAngemon deployed another Kahuna Wave into the vortex while my Chinese friend started shouting down to him. "Terriermon! We're coming for ya! Are you okay?! Say something! ANYTHING!" I looked down, and Terriermon came up with his eyes in big swirls. "Moumentai..." he said in a daze. "Everyone's...altogether," Jeri breathed. Takato nodded. "Yeah, there's nothing can keep us apart. Right, what do you say Guilmon?" Guilmon just smiled. "Mm hm!"

Soon, we moved out of the D-Reaper as everything started reverting back to normal. Yamaki met us at the Monster Makers' base. I gave him the name of my school, and he called them. If you ever have to miss school because you're saving the world, there is no one better at smooth talking than Mitsuo Yamaki. He even called my parents and explained the whole thing to them. After a last-minute dinner at Rika's place, it was agreed that Veemon and I would be sent on a plane to Dallas the next afternoon. Hypnos would pick up the tab. I spent the night at Rika's Japanese mansion, in a guest room away from Rika. I didn't have a prayer with her as anything more than just a friend, but somehow I was OK with it. Besides, I was only 12 at the time. I was way too young.

* * *

Yamaki

8:30 PM. The D-Reaper completely disappeared. The nightmare finally ended, it still seems strange a misguided program could cause so much damage, believing it was doing the right thing. Maybe we have more in common with the D-Reaper than we'd like to believe, but today we won by coming together. Which makes me believe there's hope for us, all of us.

* * *

Greg

That extra sleep did a whole world of good. The next day, we had a good breakfast and then all met up at a local park. The sight of being there with my friends was awe-inspiring. It was a picture-perfect opportunity, so Mr. Wong took a few pictures with his camera. "The park's never looked more beautiful," Henry remarked. "Dude, everything looks beautiful! I could kiss the dirt!" Kazu added. Rika just stood there with a smile on her face. "It's finally over, we did it." "I'm just glad we were there to share the experience with you," Ed said. "I wonder what our next great adventure's going to be," I wondered. Guilmon turned to Takato. "Takato, I'm glad we're home," he said. "Yeah, it's good to be back," Takato agreed, making more than just a glance at Jeri, "with the people you care about most." Just then, Jeri gasped. Takato did, and soon we all looked. There were these two Japanese preschoolers with Impmon, who was leaning against a tree. "Impmon!" "Impmon! Good to see you!" Renamon greeted him. "Yeah, uh...I just wanted you to meet my tamers, Ai and Mako," he said. "Good grief, they're getting younger and younger all the time," I said. The one girl had a purple D-Arc around her neck. Renamon made them feel welcome. "Well, hello there." Just then, Impmon started walking up to Jeri. "Um Jeri, I..." Jeri had to cut in. "Impmon, I'm so glad you're alright. You have to believe me, I never wanted anyone to get hurt." "Jeri will you...uh what I mean is...could you ever forgive me?" "Course." I had a strong feeling that she meant it. I never really liked Jeri, but I had to admire her for being so willing to forgive. That brought the happiest stupor on poor Impmon's face.

Impmon started to glow, as did the other Digimon. "Takato, what's going on?" Guilmon asked nervously. "Guilmon, uh, uh what's happening?" They started to shrink. "I feel strange," Renamon said. "Wha, Terriermon!" "Cyberdramon!" "Lalamon, what's wrong?" "Coronamon!" I turned to see Veemon glow and shrink as well. "Veemon! What's going on here?" "Why don't you tell me?" Seconds later, he had de-digivolved to DemiVeemon. "So I guess this makes packing you easier," I said, slightly confused. Suzie and Mr. Wong ran to the scene. "Mr. Wong, why are Guilmon and the others de-digivolving?" Takato urgently asked. "De-digivolving? Dad tell us, what's going on?!" Mr. Wong looked away. "Henry I...the whole world was in danger and there was only one way out. We had to take it, even if it meant losing the Digimon." "What do you mean lose? Where are they going?" Ryo demanded to know. "They have to return to the Digital Plane or they'll disappear forever, like the D-Reaper. They were never meant for this world." Tears started flowing out of our eyes faster than a wave pool being filled up. "But Guilmon's meant to be with me!" Takato protested as he hugged his In-Training Digimon, "He's a part of me! I promised him we'd always be together, I promised!" Rika cried as well. It was the first time I had seen her cry. "No, this can't be! I won't let it happen!" Henry stared at his father angrily while crying and holding Terriermon's in-training form. "You knew didn't you?! You knew this would happen when you scanned Terriermon!" Amid tears, I was staring daggers at Mr. Wong myself. "What hurts the most is that we had no idea this would happen until now. Did you even _think_ about warning us, Mr. Wong?" I growled. At that point, I truly felt like my father's son. "WELL, DID YOU!?" "I had no other choice, the fate of the world was at stake," he answered. He looked apologetically to Henry. "I couldn't let everything and everyone we love be destroyed, Henry." "Oh, that's fine. I bet you probably didn't know this, but that package you just described includes our Digimon, you got that?" Ed cut in.

Henry's In-Training Digimon caught his attention. "Henry... Moumentai." Then he started flying out of his Tamer's arms. "Greg?" I looked down. It looked like DemiVeemon was saying something. "Why are you so angry? Nobody knew this was gonna happen. Why get mad over things you don't have control over? Look, you really don't need me to be strong. You've already got the heart of a dragon. I just provided the body. Eh, as tacky as this is gonna sound, I'm still right here." He crawled over and tapped on my chest. "But... DemiVeemon..." "Shhhh. Shhhhh. Don't say anything else. It's OK. We'll meet again, I'm sure of it. I don't know where or when, but we will. I just want ya to remember one thing, OK?" I sniffed. "What's that?" I asked tenderly. "Just cheer up and never ever give up hope," he said. He gave me a little fist bump, then he started floating away. I held onto him as tight as I could. I would've gone right up there with him. "Please, Veemon... don't leave me," I begged. "It's not goodbye, Greg. It's... until we meet again." I finally let him go as he went up.

"Anya, please... don't forget to share your feelings when you need to," Lalamon's In-Training form said as she floated away. "Keep the fire burning, Ed," Coronamon's In-Training form reminded his Tamer as he floated away. "Rika, I know we'll see each other again one day." "No Renamon, please, I love you!" My mouth dropped open. I then turned up to DemiVeemon. "I love you too, Veemon!" I shouted. I meant it. We all said our goodbyes as they floated up.

* * *

["Time"

Music & Lyrics by Alan Parsons & Eric Woolfson

Performed by The Alan Parsons Project

Lead Vocal: Eric Woolfson

Backing Vocal: Alan Parsons]

_**Time, flowing like a river**_

_**Time, beckoning me**_

_**Who knows when we shall meet again**_

_**If ever**_

_**But time**_

_**Keeps flowing like a river**_

_**To the sea **_

_**Goodbye my love, maybe for forever**_

_**Goodbye my love, the tide waits for me**_

_**Who knows when we shall meet again**_

_**If ever**_

_**But time**_

_**Keeps flowing like a river (on and on)**_

_**To the sea, to the sea **_

_**Til it's gone forever**_

_**Gone forever**_

_**Gone forevermore **_

_**Goodbye my friends, maybe for forever**_

_**Goodbye my friends, the stars wait for me**_

_**Who knows where we shall meet again**_

_**If ever**_

_**But time**_

_**Keeps flowing like a river (on and on)**_

_**To the sea, to the sea **_

_**Til it's gone forever**_

_**Gone forever**_

_**Gone forevermore **_

_**Forevermore**_

_**Forevermore**_

_**Forevermore**_

* * *

Henry

Dad just stared at me apologetically. I knew he was thinking of the right words to say. I just smiled and shook my head. This brought him to his knees, and then to all fours, weeping.

* * *

Greg

"I promise Guilmon, just you wait. We'll be together again soon," Takato said. "Until we meet again, Veemon. Thank you," I quietly added. It took me a few hours to get over what Mr. Wong had done. Henry explained the whole thing to me. There was no way he could've known. It was cruel, but ultimately it had to be done. Besides, I had the more pressing issue of how to get home. Yamaki had to call the airport ticket office and cancel the ticket Veemon would've been using. We exchanged phone numbers and e-mail addresses and then, after an hour or so, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. There was nothing else to do. I made it home in 13 hours and 27 minutes non-stop.

* * *

Author's Notes:

"The constant variety of sport... the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat... the human drama of athletic competition..." was written by Stanley Ralph Ross and recited by Jim McKay as part of _ABC's Wide World of Sports. _Similarly, "DOWN GOES CLONE!" is a spoof of Howard Cosell's "Down Goes Frazier" call from January 22, 1973, on _ABC's Wide World of Sports_, calling the first of six knockdowns scored by George Foreman over Joe Frazier during their world heavyweight title match.

"Just cheer up and never ever give up hope" comes from _Wakko's Wish, _the 1999 made-for-video film starring the cast of _Animaniacs. _

If you have any questions or comments, please let me know in the review section. I've already gotten two from the same user and I've answered both of them. I've decided not to adapt _Runaway Locomon_ because after reading Pulver's site, it seems that it doesn't do much. Perhaps someone else will, but I won't. I'm also not going to fully adapt _Message in the Packet. _I think the English translation on another site says a lot. It says it far better than I could ever say it. I will be writing Greg, Anya, and Ed's messages though. You'll see that in the next chapter. Oh there's so much to clean up. When I think about it, that's one of the hardest parts of any adaptation or story. The ending, where you have to give everyone their ending. Sometimes people don't get happy endings, even when they deserve them. Some people would call this cynicism. And perhaps I have become just a bit more cynical and realistic while writing this. I mean, thanks to this story, I've got a new favorite band, The Alan Parsons Project.

Writing this whole thing has made me think a lot about hope. What it truly means. I'd like to hear your thoughts on what you've been thinking about when reading this story. How has it impacted you personally? Have I been doing my job? Did I make you laugh, cry, think? What have I done for you? Please tell me.


	49. Chapter 38: Message in a Packet

_Digimon Tamers International_

_Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02_, etc. ©1999-2013 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, Saban Brands, BVS Entertainment, etc.

All Rights Reserved

* * *

Chapter 38: Message in a Packet

Greg

"So, what happened?" Mom asked at dinner the next night. I explained the whole thing to them, and Dad got peeved big time. "You mean he didn't warn you this was going to happen?" he asked. "No," I answered. He got up and started stomping toward the phone. "Dad, there's nothing he can do about it now," I tried to explain. But he wouldn't have it. I gave him Henry's phone number. Dad spent the next hour chewing out Mr. Wong. I heard every word of it, but I won't bother to repeat it. After he had finished, he handed the phone to me. "Uh... hi, Mr. Wong," I tentatively said. "Greg, I want to explain something to you. It wasn't exactly my fault. Mr. Mizuno made a miscalculation when creating the Red Card algorithm. It was an honest mistake, and we didn't know about it until MegaGargomon activated Juggernaut. Nobody knew. So that's why what happened happened. It wasn't my fault, and Mr. Mizuno didn't do anything on purpose. Still, I feel somewhat responsible for what happened. I couldn't have warned any of you because I didn't know. I'm truly sorry. Can you forgive me?" he asked. "Well, what else is there to do now? What's done is done. It would be kind of silly and expensive to sue you, especially considering how kind you and your family have been to me. I can't hold any hate for you. I forgive you, Mr. Wong. Thanks for the apology."

I spent the rest of that semester playing catch-up. That meant a mountain of homework every single night. "You've had your fun, now you've got to dive right back into the real world," Dad kept reminding me. Sometimes I wish the man would just shut up.

Several months went by. I was and am a good student, so catching up was easy. I kept pretty good contact with the others. Takato said life was getting back to normal over there. He found this hole in an old rest area in his local park. That meant the gate to the Digital World might be open. In one of his e-mails, Henry told me that the Monster Makers figured out a way to send messages to our friends in the Digital World. Unfortunately, Dad indicated that we didn't have enough money to fly me out again.

That problem was solved when we got two phone calls. The first was from Toei Animation. The story had leaked out to the press, and Toei finally agreed to credit the Monster Makers for their contributions to the Digimon franchise. They wanted to adapt our story for the third season of _Digimon. _Of course, I said yes. They sent me a check for a large number of yen. It added up to $10,000. Dad put that in the bank. The second was from BVS Entertainment, a division of The Walt Disney Company. They had bought the English rights to _Digimon _from Saban and wanted to adapt the Toei adaptation for American TV. I gave them the OK, and even suggested they hire Doug Erholtz to voice my character. They said they'd do what they could, and later sent me a check for $5,000 (which Dad promptly put in the bank) and studio master copies of the first two seasons on DVD. Mom put some money aside so I could fly out to Shinjuku.

Everyone seemed to have a good time reuniting. Yamaki led us to a recording studio. We would be recording in Dolby Digital Stereo, which was awesome. It was decided that I'd be after Kazu and Kenta. When my turn came up, I stepped into the booth, and put on the headphones. Three beeps later, I started my message.

* * *

From Greg to Veemon

Hey Veemon, it's me. Greg. Greg Logan. You know, your Tamer. It's been a long time. You're not gonna believe this, but Toei and Disney want to buy our story and adapt it for TV. Oh, um, Disney is this company that does that sort of thing. I thought I'd explained it to you earlier. I mean, they're famous. They even have a park here in Japan. I don't know if I'll visit it though. I'm doing well in school. I had to catch up a whole lot because of our little extended rendezvous. Thank goodness for Yamaki.

I've been thinking a lot. Before you left, you said I had "the heart of a dragon". I wish I could say I'd used it more. Heh, you'd probably expect me to take up karate or something. I thought about it, I did. Decided against it though. I haven't gone into anything athletic, I don't want to be all brawn and no brains. I don't want to be a jock. I have been losing some weight though. I've also been taking more risks than I usually do. I rode on this one water coaster at a local water park. The ride's called "Green Extreme" and it goes really fast. It's supposed to be 1,161 feet long and 81 feet tall! I've also been into go-karting.

Dang it, man, I miss you. I think one of my happiest memories of us was when I finally figured out how to ride Raidramon properly. You know, with the hands in those slots. We zoomed along so fast down the Japanese highways. Then there was that one night during that break where I taught you how to bowl. You threw more strikes than I did. And of course there was that one battle where I borrowed Takato's goggles and Armor Digivolved you to Flamedramon. I was living the dream, baby!

Eh, maybe that was kind of selfish of me. I never did make good on that promise I made to you. The one where I said you could Digivolve to ExVeemon the next chance we got. It always seemed we just jumped into action as Imperialdramon. I'm sorry, Veemon.

I hope you're doing well. Heh heh, I think I can see you now, rebuilding the Digital World with everyone. I think it's going to take a lot of work. 47% of it had already been deleted when we tried rescuing Jeri the first time. Still, I think it can be done.

They've been rerunning the first two seasons on ABC Family, and I've been watching them every day before school. They're just about to wrap up the first season, and the last episode I saw had T.K. finally activate his Crest of Hope. That reminded me so much of when you Matrix Digivolved for the first time. He already knew what hope meant. I had to figure it out myself. Maybe what that old man Mizuno said was true. "Digimon and humans will never be able to separate themselves from each other, they live in the same world really. And it's only when that's recognized that the next evolution will begin." I felt some sort of evolution in my understanding. When you Matrix Digivolved, I only had a basic understanding of hope, but that was enough to pull us through. Then when we Biomerged for the first time, I really experienced it. It felt like my whole body was dipped in this pool of warm water, but the water warmed me from the inside as well. I'm sure you felt the same way, too. Now I don't ever want to lose that. So I've been trying harder to stay positive. Sometimes it isn't easy, but I'll keep trying.

Oh, the others want their turn now. I better wrap things up. Look, we'll see each other again soon. I know it. And when we meet, I will keep my promise. First time we go into battle, you're going in as ExVeemon. I promise, Scout's honor. Until then, hasta luego.

* * *

Greg

The recording stopped, and I stepped out of the booth. "Not bad," Ed said. Anya went next.

* * *

To Lalamon from Anya

Salutations, Lalamon. That is a more complicated way of saying "Hello".

How are you doing? I am doing well. This is going to sound strange, but I looked up sincerity in the dictionary. I had been thinking about it ever since Greg gave me that card. This is the definition I found. "Freedom from deceit, hypocrisy, or duplicity; probity in intention or in communicating; earnestness." It means truly being able to communicate your needs and desires honestly.

Lalamon, you have opened a new doorway for me. I've never realized how much I hide my feelings from people. I guess it came from my upbringing. People have this misconception about women from Russia, how they are filled with guile and duplicity. There is this popular image of the "femme fatale." I had been living up to that image, and I shouldn't. I realized that when we Biomerged for the first time. Ever since then, it's becoming easier and easier. In the past few months since you left, I've been opening up more to people. People say I've gained a new personality. There's this boy I've had a secret crush on before I left. I'd never have admitted it to him before I met you. Just a week ago, I did admit it, and it turns out that he likes me as well! (giggles) This is better than I thought it would be!

I think I'm starting to like this warmer side of me. I'm sad, though, that I can't share it with you right now. I'd love to introduce you to more of Moscow, like Gorky Park and the State Museum-Reserve Tsaritsyno. I know how much you love the gardens. I want you to come back, and I will do everything I can to make sure that it happens. We make such a good team, you and I.

I don't know what else to say now. There are so many things I'd like to tell you, but I can't think of them now. (pause) Maybe it's for the best. Until we meet again.

* * *

Greg

Anya took off her headphones and walked out of the booth. Ed went in next.

* * *

To Coronamon from Ed

Hallo, Coronamon. It's been a long time. You're probably wondering how my career has been. Well, I'm working on my own concept album based on my adventures in the Digital World. I've been learning from the best record producers in South Africa. I'm writing all the music myself, and it's wonderful. This is something of my own, something no one is forcing me to do. For once, I'm calling the shots. It's scary, but fun.

They decided to kill off my character on _Harmony Street, _and the ratings haven't been the same since. The producers even decided to reformat the show so that it's more educational and informational. Even the opening sequence throws words like "peace", "knowledge", "tolerance", "equality", and "hope" right onto the screen. Dumb move. They even had this bloke from Canada named Victor Davies come in and write new original songs just to save money.* The producers are turning the show into a train wreck, and I love it! I do feel kind of sorry for my former co-stars though. I've been trying to make friends with them.

Dad says I can go to a normal school now. No bodyguards, no special treatment, nothing. It's one step closer to normalcy. I'm not going to let myself be defined by my past.

Coronamon, I'm sorry about what happened that one day. I let my emotions get the best of me. I sunk into despair and dragged you down with me. I shouldn't have done that, and I'm sorry. I'm just glad my friends were there to help me see the light. I count you among one of them. You're the first real friend I've ever had. I'm making new friends though, but I'll always count you as one of my closest ones. Oh, how I miss you. We will see each other again, I'm sure of it.

So long.

* * *

Greg

After everyone had recorded, Henry and Yamaki put the recordings in a zip file and sent it off toward the Digital World. There was nothing much else to do but go home and wait.

About a month after recording the message, I got another call from Toei. Apparently, the idea of my character didn't test well with focus groups. Some very important people in those groups claimed that my character took too many negatives from both T.K. and Davis and didn't contribute any positives. Plus, Toei and BVS wanted to focus more on Takato, Henry, and Rika. Anya, Ed, Coronamon, and Lalamon got cut as well. I learned this from my two fellow Tamers respectively.

A week later, I received a small, padded envelope in the mail from Hypnos, Yamaki's organization. Inside were a set of DVDs, a green card, and a letter.

"Greg,

As promised, here is the complete uncut battle footage from your reported first encounter with Alice to the final showdown. I've also included a little surprise Mizuno cooked up. Hold your breath, make a wish, count to three, and then scan the Green Card through your D-Arc. Hope you like it. And please, stay out of trouble.

Yamaki & The Monster Makers"

I had kept my D-Arc on my dresser all this time, so I went in my room, picked it up and got in position. "All right, here goes nothing. Digi-Modify! Green Card Activate!" I scanned the card and the display lit up. Then, it started beeping. My eyes widened. I recognized that beep and quickly put the display away from me. About 5 seconds in, the beep started getting faster and faster until my started shooting out white light. From that white light came... "GREG!" "VEEMON!" We jumped toward each other, hit each other in the head, and landed on my bed hugging each other. "Oh man! This is awesome! How'd Mizuno put you in that little card?" I asked him. "I don't know," he answered. We both laughed, it really didn't matter. All that did was that he was back. Veemon had returned, and to stay. There was a little postscript at the bottom of the note. Veemon read it. "P.S. Don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted. He lived happily ever after." "Good old Mr. Mizuno," I said.

Later, I got phone calls from everyone. It seemed that Yamaki himself had gone into the Digital World and used a program Mr. Wong and Mr. Mizuno developed to find and absorb the Digimon into Green Cards. Then, he teleported out.

So, life went on. We'd later meet again for Rika's birthday, but our journey didn't end there. Not in the slightest. Anya and I would soon find out that it was only the end... of the beginning.

* * *

THE END OF THE BEGINNING

Greg Logan Will Return in:

_Digimon Tamers International: Do the Locomon_

(written by IrishDreamer4)

and

_Digimon Savers International_

(written by DigitalCorp)

* * *

Ed's description of the downfall of _Harmony Street _parallels and is a parody of _Kids Incorporated's _downfall. The 1993 season was considered the last and the worst. Victor Davies wrote original songs for the CTV children's series _The Rockets, _which I consider the Canadian knockoff of _KI._

Once again, I'd like to thank you all for reading this fanfic. If you've read it all the way through, then I'd especially like to thank you. I left the ending ambiguously for a reason. You'll discover why in _Digimon Savers International. _In the meantime, IrishDreamer4 (who you may remember from _Digital Adventure 03: Kiseki O Shinjiru) _agreed to adapt _Runaway Locomon _in her own style. I'd like to thank her for that in advance. You look out for it, because it should be very interesting. And speaking of interesting, if you'd like to see Davis, TK, and Kari without their Digimon but with ninja skills, make sure you read _Tale of Daisuke: Hearts of Heroes! _

After this, we've got the closing sequence and cast list. Then, I'll be starting DSI soon. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know in the review section.


	50. Closing Sequence: Days are Numbers

_Digimon Tamers International_

_Digimon Tamers, Digimon Adventure 02_, etc. ©1999-2013 Toei Animation, Akayoshi Hongo, Saban Brands, BVS Entertainment, etc.

All Rights Reserved

Closing Sequence Music:

**"****Days Are Numbers (The Traveller)"**

**Written by: Eric Woolfson & Alan Parsons**

**Japanese Lyrics by: Yamada Hiroshi**

**Arranger: Oota Michihiko**

Japanese Version Performed by: AiM (Maeda Ai)

English Version Performed by: Vic Mignogna

English Backing Vocals by: Doug Erholtz, Dave Wittenberg, Andrew Rannells

* * *

_The animation is mostly set in live-action Shinjuku. Using rotoscoping and __optical printers, it appears as if the Tamers and Digimon are interacting with the real world. For the first 7 seconds, we start with an animated picture of the real life Earth as seen from the Digital World. That slowly fades away to reveal live-action Shinjuku as it appeared just before the D-Reaper entered the city. We begin with Takato and Guilmon watching the trains go by on the Southern Terrace bridge. Guilmon is scarfing down some Guilmon bread he had brought with him. Jeri later walks by and meets up with him. Henry, Terriermon, Suzie, and Lopmon are playing at __Central Park Square near the slide where Suzie was called to the Digital World. At the large square in front of Shinjuku Station's Kabukicho entrance, Rika's leaning against a storefront, listening to her Walkman and people watching. Watching carefully from the side, Renamon uses her own Walkman, slowly nodding her head in time to whatever beat she's on. Ryo meets up with Rika and the two proceed to hang (and make) out, much to Renamon's chagrin._

_**The traveler is always leaving town**_

_**He never has the time to turn around**_

_**And if the road he's taken isn't leading anywhere**_

_**He seems to be completely unaware **_

_Greg and Veemon are looking out in awe from the observatories at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Center. Lalamon and Anya are enjoying the cherry blossoms at the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. Ed and Coronamon are listening to some music themselves at Tower Records, one of the biggest record stores in Japan. They meet up with Kazu, Kenta, Guardromon, and MarineAngemon._

_**The traveler is always leaving home**_

_**The only kind of life he's ever known**_

_**When every moment seems to be**_

_**A race against the time**_

_**There's always one more mountain left to climb **_

_That night, all the Tamers meet out on a large hill outside the city and watch the stars while laying on their backs. The image of the night sky is overlaid with images of battles they have fought and won together. They seem to treasure this moment of unity._

_**(Days...)**_

_**Days are numbers**_

_**Watch the stars**_

_**(...are numbers)**_

_**We can only see so far**_

_**(Someday...) Someday, you'll know where you are**_

_**(know where you are**_

_**know where you are)**_

_**Remember**_

_**(Days...)**_

_**Days are numbers**_

_**Count the stars**_

_**(...are numbers)**_

_**We can only go so far**_

_**(One day...) One day, you'll know where you are **_

_**(know where you are**_

_**know where you are)**_

_As the closing sequence ends, we find all the Tamers and their Digimon (with the exception of Leomon of course) looking out at a CGI rainbow over the park, in an updated nod to the first ending theme, "My Tomorrow"._

* * *

_[Now for the actual credits, which are based on real ones but absolutely do not apply to this piece of fanfiction.]_

Original Concept & Character Design:

Akiyoshi Hongo

Chief Director:

Yukio Kaizawa

A Production of:

Toei Animation, Inc.

Buena Vista Studios

Yomiko Advertising

Producer :

Hiromi Seki

Story Editor/ Writer in Chief :

Chiaki J. Konaka

Opening Theme:

"One Vision"

Lyrics: Yamada Hiroshi

Music: Oota Michihiko

Arranger: Oota Michihiko

Performed by: Takayoshi Tanimoto

Closing Theme:

"Days Are Numbers (The Traveller)"

Written by: Eric Woolfson & Alan Parsons

Japanese Lyrics by: Yamada Hiroshi

Arranger: Oota Michihiko

Japanese Version Performed by: AiM (Maeda Ai)

English Version Performed by: Vic Mignogna

Assistant Chief Director:

Tetsuharu Nakamura

Art Directors:  
Tetsuhiro Shimizu

Yukiko Iijima

Character Design:

Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru

Production Design:

Yoshito Watanabe

CG Design:

Shinji Aramaki

Color Supervisor:

Yasue Itasaka

English Version

Story Editor:

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn

Production Manager:

Kimberly S. Moreau

Production Coordinator:

Tina D. Wäntig

English Cast:

Brian Beacock as Takato Matsuki/Gallantmon (shared)/Gallantmon Crimson Mode (shared)

Dave Wittenberg as Henry Wong/MegaGargomon (shared)/Ebonwumon/Johnny Beckenstein

Melissa Fahn as Rika Nonaka/Sakuyamon (shared)

Doug Erholtz as Greg Logan/Imperialdramon (shared)/Imperialdramon Fighter Mode (shared)/Deramon/Spencer Logan/Himself/Takeru "T.K." Takaishi

Kate Higgins as Anya Rădulescu/Rosemon (shared)/Herself

Vic Mignogna as Ed Jordan-Phillips/Apollomon (shared)/Apollomon Whispered (shared)/Himself

Steven J. Blum as Mitsuo Yamaki/Kenta Kitagawa/Gigimon/Guilmon/Growlmon/WarGrowlmon/Megidramon/Gallantmon (shared)/Gallantmon Crimson Mode (shared)/Flamedramon/Raidramon/Magnamon/Sethmon

Mona Marshall as Gummymon/Terriermon/Gargomon/Rapidmon/MegaGargomon (shared)/Sunflowmon/Gary

Mari Devon as Viximon/Renamon/Kyubimon/Taomon/Sakuyamon (shared)

Dorothy Elias-Fahn as Budmon/Lalamon/Lilamon/Rosemon (shared)/Babamon/Aishwarya "Curly" Rai/Female Officer #1

Derek Stephen Prince as DemiVeemon/Veemon/ExVeemon/Imperialdramon (shared)/Imperialdramon Fighter Mode (shared)/Yaamon/Impmon/Beelzemon/Beelzemon Blast Mode/Male Officer #1

Andrew Rannells as Sunmon/Coronamon/Firamon/Apollomon (shared)/Apollomon Whispered (shared)/Kapurimon

Lex Lang as Cyberdramon/Justimon (Shared)/Flaremon

Philece Sampler as Alice McCoy/Mie Matsuki

Brad MacDonald as Kazu Shioda

Tifanie Christun as Mrs. Kitagawa/Riley

Bridget Hoffman as Jeri Katou/Shizue Katou/D-Reaper

Peggy O'Neal as Suzie Wong/Tally

Rebecca Forstadt as Ai

Wendee Lee as Mako/"Daisy"/MarineAngemon/Valerie Logan/Jaarin Wong

Steve Staley as Ryo Akiyama/Justimon (Shared)

Fumiko Orikasa as Japanese Voice of Rika

Mayumi Yamaguchi as Japanese Voice of Henry

Junko Noda as Japanese Voice of Veemon

Paul St. Peter as Leomon

Brianne Siddall as Calumon

Richard Cansino as Guardromon

Brian Donovan as Kai

Neil Kaplan as Divermon/Babel

Steve Kramer as Baihumon

Joe Ochman as Jagamon Leader/Makuramon

Tony Pope as Zhuqiaomon

Michelle Ruff as Lopmon/Antylamon

Michael Sorich as Dobermon/Neemon

Dave Mallow as Gekomon/Grani

Peter Spellos as Meramon

Tom Wyner as Catsuramon/Devimon/Ed's Inner Demon

Bob Glouberman as Gorou "Shibumi" Mizuno

Jamieson Price as Janyu "Tao" Wong

Tom Fahn as Rob "Dolphin" McCoy

Kirk Thornton as Takehiro Matsuki

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Rumiko Nonaka/Mrs. Wong/Digivolution

Barbara Goodson as Seiko Hata

Bob Papenbrook as Tadashi Kato

Rob Paulsen as Ivan Rădulescu/Additional Vocal Effects

Tress MacNeille as Tatiana Rădulescu

Richard Epcar as Nigel Phillips

Dan Lorge as Mr. Kitagawa

Michael McConnohie as Henry's Sensei

Lara Jill Miller as Kari Kamiya

Michael Reisz as Yamato "Matt" Ishida

Peter Jennings as Himself

and

Nick Mancuso

as

Man in Sting Ray

Voice Casting Director:

Paul Di Franco

Voice Casting Assistant:

Justin Feldman

Voice Director:

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn

Executive in Charge of Post Production:

Clive H. Mizumoto

Senior Director of Sound Operations:

Xavier Garcia

Sound Supervisor:

Robert R. Rutledge

Re-Recording Mixers:

Mark Ettel

T.A. Moore, Jr.

Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Effects Editor:

Johnnie Valentino

Sound Effects Editors:

Chuck O'Steen

Phillip A. Raves

Foley:

Inez Zamachaj

Kalea L. Morton

ADR Recordists:

Kevin Newson

Bryan Stewart

Audio Assistants:

B.C. Celello

Adrian Guillen

Bryan Stewart

Music by:

Takanori Arisawa

Watanabe Cheru

Michihiko Ohta

Alan Parsons

Executive In Charge of Music:

Ron Kenan

Music Supervisors:

Barry Kolsky

Chris Horvath

Alan Parsons

Music Editors:

Jim Wheeler

Liz Magro

Second Engineers:

John Sperger

Jimmy Di Julio

Tim Gosselin

Al Lay

Music Assistants:

George Kennedy

Roy Tomer

The voices and music of Digimon Tamers International were augmented by other performers.

Music Augmentation by:

Hollywood Studio Symphony

VP of Post Production Operations:

Dan La Borico

Post Production Supervisor:

Jeffrey Arthur

Post Production Coordinator:

Dave "Chewie" Guerrie

Offline Editor:

Shawn Logue

Online Editor:

Terry Marlin

Hal Artist:

Jennifer Scarry

Opening Sequence Director:

Yukio Kaizawa

Ending Sequence Director:

Takahiro Imamura

Directors of Digivolution Sequences:

Yukio Kaizawa [Champion]

Takahiro Imamura [Ultimate]

Shinji Aramaki [Mega 3D]

Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru [Mega 2D/Growlmon Animator]

Designers:

Kenji Watanabe

Hiroyuki Kakudou

Shinji Aramaki

Director of Studio Operations:

Katie Thorpe

Produced by:

Saban Entertainment, Inc.

Sensation Animation, Inc.

Distributed by:

Buena Vista Television

©2002 ABC Family Properties, Inc. and BVS International, N.V.

Underlying Property ® Toei Animation Co, Ltd.

All Rights Reserved


End file.
